Pat Dugan is the sidekick of the Star-Spangled Kid. He first started as Stripesy for his employer's son Sylvester Pemberton, and then as S.T.R.I.P.E. for his stepdaughter Courtney Whitmore.
History
After helping a young Sylvester Pemberton take down a group of Nazi spies, Pat Dugan became the costumed hero Stripesy along with Pemberton's Star-Spangled Kid. Dugan was notable as the only adult sidekick to a teenage superhero. The duo had several adventures as part of the Seven Soldiers of Victory and the All-Star Squadron.
In late October, 1948, the Seven Soldiers were thrown throughout time by a battle with cosmic Nebula Man. Dugan was sent to ancient Egypt and enslaved, until he and the other Soldiers were rescued by the Justice League and Society of America. The Soldiers were returned to their rescuers' present; though he had aged less a week, Dugan found himself over 40 years in the future. Seeking a fresh start in Las Vegas, Dugan met and quickly married Maggie Shaw, but she later left him to raise their son Michael on his own.[1] As if this were not enough, Dugan, a gifted mechanic, had all of his patents stolen by Arthur Pemberton, a relative of Sylvester's. The two, who were estranged, finally reconciled when Sylvester was able to secure Dugan's patents for him once again. Later, Dugan was occasionally involved with Pemberton's team Infinity, Inc., until their battle with the Injustice Society wherein Pemberton was killed.
Dugan eventually remarried, this time to Barbara Whitmore, and they settled in Blue Valley. His stepdaughter, Courtney Whitmore, found Pemberton's Cosmic Converter Belt while rummaging through a box of Dugan's things. It was then that she discovered that her stepfather was formerly Stripesy. In an effort to annoy him, Courtney took the belt and became the second Star-Spangled Kid. In order to protect her (and keep an eye on her), Dugan developed a robotic suit of power armor that he called S.T.R.I.P.E. (Special Tactics Robotic Integrated Power Enhancer).
Dugan became a reserve member of the Justice Society of America and occasionally accompanied them on missions. Mostly, though, he aided the JSA in a support role, having developed their aircraft the Steel Eagle.
Though he still sometimes ventures out "hero-ing", Dugan now focuses on his family — raising his baby daughter Patricia, imparting his mechanical knowledge to Mike, and continuing to support Courtney in her adventures as Stargirl.
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
- Hand-to-Hand Combat (Basic)
- Mechanical Engineering: Pat is a gifted mechanic, having built Sylvester Pemberton's Star-Rocket Racer, the JSA's Steel Eagle, and his own S.T.R.I.P.E. battle suit.
- Peak Human Condition: In his prime as Stripesy, Pat was tremendously strong, though not quite superhuman.
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- S.T.R.I.P.E. Armor
- Flight
- Gadgetry: The armor is equipped with weapons and utilities for a wide variety of situations.
- Superhuman Durability
- Superhuman Strength
Transportation
- Star-Rocket Racer: A flying car Pat designed in the 1940s. In the present day, Pat usually uses his S.T.R.I.P.E. armor to fly instead.
Notes
- Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-Two era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and no longer apply.
- Stripesy was one of Wizard Magazine's "Mort of the Month", a featurette showcasing comic characters considered to be unpopular or lacking in quality.
Trivia
- S.T.R.I.P.E. was once referred to as "the Iron Giant" by a newscaster who apparently did not know the hero's actual moniker.[2]
Related
- 231 Appearances of Patrick Dugan (New Earth)
- 36 Images featuring Patrick Dugan (New Earth)
- 4 Quotations by or about Patrick Dugan (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Patrick Dugan (New Earth)
External Links
Footnotes
  Justice Society of America member |
  This character is or was a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, or the Seven Soldiers in any of its various incarnations, created during World War II and later, it returned to battle time-traveling, dimension-spanning mysteries and monsters. |
 This character is or was a member of the All-Star Squadron in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "All-Star Squadron members" category. |
 This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats. |