Simon Stagg

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]

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.[2] 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.[3]

In the one-shot "Countdown to Infinite Crisis," Maxwell Lord is seen talking with Stagg on the phone.[4]

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.[5]

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.[6] Simon Stagg later placed Java's mind into the body of a Shaggy Man which was defeated by Freight Train.[7]

In the "DC Rebirth," 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.[8] Simon Stagg was present when Mister Terrific, Plastic Man, Metamorpho, and Phantom Girl made it back from the Multiverse.[9] 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.[10]

• Simon Stagg's Bio