Courtney Whitmore is a fictional character, the superheroine Stargirl (often calle "Stars" or "Star") in the DC Comics Universe. Originally known as the second Star-Spangled Kid, she uses the identity of Stargirl since she was presented with the Cosmic Staff by Jack Knight. The character is a creation of Geoff Johns, who is said to have based her personality on that of his sister, also named Courtney, who died in the explosion of TWA Flight 800 in 1996. Johns is an avid fan of Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew and Courtney's original outfit is similar to Zoo Crew member Yankee Poodle's.