Simon Stagg

Simon Stagg
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 affiliations	Stagg 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.

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

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.[4] 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.^[5]

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

In the "

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.^[10] Simon Stagg was present when Mister Terrific, Plastic Man, Metamorpho, and Phantom Girl made it back from the Multiverse.^[11] 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.^[12]

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

In other media

Television

• Simon Stagg appears in the Justice League two-part episode "Metamorphosis", voiced by Earl Boen.^[14] This version transformed Rex Mason into Metamorpho using mutagens that were originally intended to help workers survive harsh conditions. He additionally tricks him into fighting Green Lantern and the Justice League and later falls into a coma during an accident after Mason attempts to kill him, which also creates a chemical monster controlled by his subconscious mind that Mason and the League work together to defeat.
• Simon Stagg appears in
  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 series set in the Arrowverse:
  • A Stagg Industries chemical plant appears in the Arrow episode "Burned", in which it is attacked by Firefly.
  • Stagg himself appears in
    Danton Black targets Stagg for stealing his research and taking credit for it, which led to the death of Black's wife, though the Flash saves the businessman and defeats Black. Stagg becomes fascinated by the Flash and begins planning to capture and experiment on him, but Eobard Thawne
    , who killed and subsequently began impersonating Wells, 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 missing, with rumors circulating that he became a recluse.
• Simon Stagg makes a non-speaking appearance in the Young Justice: Outsiders episode "Triptych". This version orchestrates a metahuman trafficking ring until he is eventually exposed and arrested. While in prison, he is visited by Shade.