Simon Stagg

Simon Stagg
Simon Stagg
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
Alter ego	Simon Stagg
Team affiliations	Stagg Enterprises
Abilities	Genius-level intellect

Simon Stagg is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Serving primarily as an antagonist to the antihero/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.

The character has made several appearance in media outside of comics, such animated television series, video games, live-action series The Flash, in which he was portrayed by William Sadler, and the live-action 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".

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. Rex was near the Orb of Ra and was exposed to it leading to his transformation into Metamorpho.

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, 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 since 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.

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. 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 actual Java's murder was still a secret known only to the Staggs). 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 the murdered Java.

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

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.

During the "Brightest Day" storyline, Simon Stagg is later contacted at his Canadian estate by Metamorpho when he and his fellow Outsiders Black Lightning, Geo-Force, Katana, and Owlman (Roy Raymond, Jr.) need a place to stay during the War of the Supermen storyline after accidentally being shot down. Simon Stagg later placed Java's mind into the body of a Shaggy Man which was defeated by Freight Train.

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". Simon Stagg opened up the portal to the Dark Multiverse and was trying to use Metamorpho transmuted into Nth Metal in order to close it. This attracted the attention of Mister Terrific and Plastic Man. When Mister Terrific tries to get Simon Stagg to close the portal, Mister Terrific, Plastic Man, and Metamorpho are sucked in. Simon Stagg was present when Mister Terrific, Plastic Man, Metamorpho, and Phantom Girl made it back from the Multiverse. Due to the effects of the Dark Multiverse energy, Mister Terrific concludes that they can't go their separate ways due to this bond. Simon Stagg threatened to sue for invading his lab, though Mister Terrific made a compromise where they would continue investigating at Simon Stagg's mansion.

Powers and abilities

Simon Stagg possesses genius-level intellect.

In other media

Television

• Simon Stagg appeared in the Justice League animated series, voiced by Earl Boen. In the two-part episode "Metamorphosis", Stagg Enterprises sought to create a chemically altered individual who can survive in harsh environments known as "Metamorpho". Stagg had Java smuggle mutagen samples for the project into the country. Like in the comics, Stagg's favorite employee, Rex Mason, was in love with his daughter Sapphire, of whom Stagg was jealously protective. In an attempt to protect his daughter, Stagg uses the chemicals on Mason, transforming him into shape-shifting mutant and tricks him into fighting the Green Lantern and the Justice League. Upon learning the truth however, Mason attacked Stagg. While he was driven off by the businessman's guards, Mason made another attempt on his life, but this resulted in Stagg falling into a coma after his base desires ended up in his chemicals and created a monstrous synthoid creature that goes on a rampage. When Mason destroys it, Stagg wakes up in the hospital. Stagg also makes a non-speaking cameo in the episode "Only a Dream" Pt. 1.
• Simon Stagg appears in the Beware the Batman animated series, voiced by Jeff Bennett. In the episode "Hunted", he is among several corrupt executives who are hunted and kidnapped by Professor Pyg and Mister Toad, who seek revenge on them for causing severe environmental damage, though the captives are eventually rescued by Batman. In "Toxic", Stagg disapproves his daughter, Sapphire's, relationship with Rex Mason. In an attempt to eliminate him, he lures the latter into a Stagg Industries lab and exposed him to several chemicals, transforming him into Metamorpho. Upon Batman's arrival, Stagg fled and deleted the security footage. Batman discovers the truth and tells Mason so he can be cured. Though Stagg grants Batman access, the antidote did not work. After Metamorpho vanishes, Stagg attempts to frame Batman, but the latter shows Sapphire footage depicting her father's role in turning Mason into Metamorpho. In "Allies", Tobias Whale and his gang take advantage of Stagg being arrested to rob a Stagg Industries warehouse. In "Monsters", Batman suspects Stagg of hiring and providing thugs with armor and weapons to drive people out of Old Gotham and buy the territory. The dark knight visits him in his cell at Blackgate Penitentiary, but Stagg denies being involved. The culprit is later revealed to be Sapphire, seeking to impress her father.
• Simon Stagg and Stagg Industries appear in live-action media set in the Arrowverse.
  • In Arrow, Stagg Industries is mentioned as being one of Laurel Lance's law firm's biggest benefactors, but the company later cuts off the funding. Additionally, one of the company's chemical plants is attacked by Firefly before the Arrow confronts him.
  • Simon Stagg himself appears in The Flash, portrayed by William Sadler. This version is a philanthropist and inventor with more sinister underlying motivations as well as an old acquaintance of Harrison Wells. In the episode "Fastest Man Alive", Danton Black targets Stagg for stealing his research and taking credit for it, which led to the death of Black's wife, although the Flash saves the businessman. Stagg becomes fascinated by the speedster and begins planning to exploit him, but Eobard Thawne kills him to prevent Stagg from interfering in the former's plans. As of the episodes "Out of Time" and "Rogue Time", Stagg's murder remains undiscovered and he is reported as missing, with rumors circulating that he became a recluse.
• Simon Stagg appears in the Young Justice: Outsiders animated series episode "Triptych". He orchestrates a metahuman trafficking ring until he is eventually exposed and arrested. While in prison, he is visited by Shade.

Film

Simon Stagg appears in the live-action film Wonder Woman 1984, portrayed by Oliver Cotton. This version is a business investor of Maxwell Lord's who demands to pull out after learning that the latter's oil business is fake and calls him a "loser" in front of his son. Later, Lord absorbs the power of the Dreamstone and visits Stagg again to "apologize" for deceiving him. Stagg is tricked into wishing that Lord's business will boom and Lord in turn tells Stagg that he will magically remove him and take over his company. As Lord leaves his company, he passes some arriving FBI agents who are planning to see Stagg for supposed tax fraud; a side effect of the Dreamstone.

Video games

• Stagg Industries' Gotham HQ appears in DC Universe Online.
• Simon Stagg appears in Batman: Arkham Knight, voiced by Phil Proctor. His in-game profile describes him as a philanthropist and entrepreneur from Central City who is researching airborne inoculation technology and has been accused of human rights violations. He also worked with the Scarecrow, who required Stagg's help on a project called "Cloudburst". The businessman develops Nimbus Generators, a clean power cell technology, for Scarecrow, who later betrays Stagg. While working to uncover the Scarecrow's plot, Batman learns of Stagg's involvement from the Penguin, and "borrows" a Nimbus Cell from the businessman to protect his equipment from the Cloudburst machine's nimbus field. Following this, Stagg is arrested by the GCPD.

Comic strips

Simon Stagg appears in Dick Tracy, published in February 2018. He made a deal with Ghost Pepper to buy his restaurant Pepper's. Ghost backs out on the deal, poisons Simon, and takes his money.

External links

• Simon Stagg's Bio