Zeek

“	Anyhoo, my granddad passed along a thing or two. One thing he taught me was...How quick someone will write off a good thing. If something doesn't work the way they want it to, they just toss it away. They think it's "junk," but it's not, mm-mm. You see, junk is junk. But salvage...Salvage is an opportunity, an opportunity to turn it into something new.	”
	— Zeek to "Sylvester" in "Chapter Three: The Blackmail"

Zeek is a recurring character in The CW and DC Universe series, Stargirl.

He is a hearty junkyard owner who takes an interest in Pat Dugan's mechanical robot project and becomes an unlikely friend to the mechanic and an respected ally of the Justice Society of America.

Biography

Zeek was born to a single mother, who couldn't tolerate his incessant crying. She brought him to his grandparents and complained that he cried too much, so she needed a break. She never came back for her son, who grew up with his grandparents, primarily in his grandfather's salvage yard. He developed a love for fixing things and turning one thing into another. This spurred his desire to open his own junkyard, called Zeek's Junkyard in Blue Valley, Nebraska. He once had a tryst with the duchess of Liechtenstein and danced on the beaches of Monaco with her. She taught him all the steps of the Viennese waltz, while he taught her funky chicken. He also had a relationship with a chimney sweeps less interesting daughter.

Series

Season 1

Pat visits Zeek's junkyard to pick up a number of interesting parts. Zeek points out where certain parts are and even sells Pat an exhaust pipe for $19.99 with no refunds or returns. He is a gruff and scraggly man whose primary goal is just to run a good and honest small-town business in Blue Valley.^[1]

Zeek later tows Matt Harris's pickup truck to The Pit Stop. He notes that if he didn't know any better he would think King Kong punched the truck due to the size and depth of the dent.^[2]

Season 2

Pat Dugan asks the junkyard owner Zeek to watch over The Pit Stop while he's away. Zeek inquires what is beyond the "employees only" door, but Pat brushes it off as nothing Zeek needs to worry about. The men shake hands over their new agreement. Pat returns the next day to tell Zeek there's been a change of plans, and discovers the "employees only" door is ajar. Pat rushes in to find Zeek standing at the foot of STRIPE, staring at the robot in awe. Zeek remarks that he knew Pat was working on something but never could have dreamed it was this. Pat carefully states that it's a private project, but Zeek understands and won't tell anyone. He wants to install a flamethrower in the arm and states he'll be back tomorrow to do that. Pat is left powerless to Zeek's decisions.^[3] As a man of his word, Zeek arrives the next day and installs the flame thrower. He gives a demonstration that leaves Pat and Jennie in awe. Zeek brushes it off as the flame still being weak but he can fix that. He bids them goodbye and abruptly leaves.^[4]

A few days later, Pat is called to the junkyard by Zeek, who had been visited by Pat's son Mike. The boy wants to buy a station wagon so that he can repair it to be an asset to the team. Zeek chimes in that the car would be perfect for any kind of project, as it's a true fixer-upper. The family continues to discuss the matter when Zeek lowers the price from $50 off to $75 off before stating he can't go any lower than that. Pat thanks Zeek but asks for a moment alone with Mike. Zeek obliges but rattles off a few facts on the car as he does.^[5]

Zeek and Mike talk at the former's scrapyard, wondering if Mike should get a motorbike. Mike says that Pat won't let him get anything with wheels because he might hurt himself, and Zeek says that robots don't have wheels. The mechanic says that he's building STRIPE a chainsaw, and Mike cheers up at the possibility of equipping the robot. That night, he looks to the sky as the eclipse begins in Blue Valley.^[6] He later helps the Justice Society of America in their battle against Eclipso, by reforming S.T.R.I.P.E., which Mike Dugan later operates.^[7]

Season 3

Zeek continues his side job at The Pit Stop, waving to Jakeem Williams as he bikes past on his paper route.^[8]

Pat welds pieces for S.T.R.I.P.E. as Sylvester reads job ads out of the newspaper. Zeek chimes in that his second cousin has a pig farm - he could put a good word in for Sylvester. The man thanks him, but questions how this is difficult. He's just as employable as the other JSA members were. Pat hesitates, since Dr. Mid-Nite was a surgeon, which Sylvester finds icky, Hourman was chemist or lab nerd as Sylvester chimes, and the Green Lantern ran a broadcasting company. Sylvester thinks the entertainment business has a lot of headaches. Zeek asks for his family history. For himself, his granddad raised him in his salvage yard, so all he wanted to do was take broken stuff and make it work again. All Sylvester's parents gave him was a chip on his shoulder. They treated him and his sister like props to show off to their snooty friends. That's why he loved being Starman, because he wasn't a prop, but served a purpose as somebody important. Without that, he's nobody. The men quickly refute that theory as he is somebody. He's Starman. Zeek tells him that he he went to live with his grandparents after he was born. His mother dropped him off one day and told them "he cries too loud" and he never saw her again. His granddad passed along a thing or two. One thing he taught Zeek was how quick someone will write off a good thing. If someone doesn't work the way they want it to, they toss it away. They think it's "junk" but it's not - junk is junk, but salvage is an opportunity to turn it into something new. Sylvester listens intently then quickly apologizes. He can get self-absorbed, asking if Zeek is still talking about car parts, or if it was a metaphor about him. Zeek tells him to figure it out. Pat tells him not to worry as they're going to get Sylvester on a good career path, a great job, all he has to do is keep a good attitude.^[9]

Zeek enjoys a burger at Richie Rock's Diner when Mike and Jakeem enter. They have a little bit of a problem, a girl problem, and need his help. With his interest piqued, Zeek sets down his burger and faces the boys. The fellas have come to the right place. Mike explains there's this girl they both like, but she won't even pay attention to them. In fact, she'll barely talk to them and they wonder how they can get her to give them a chance. Zeek muses over the young romance, competing for a lover's heart. Mike and Jakeem quickly protest that, but Zeek presses on over them. He's taken a turn on love's cosmic merry-go-round. He's danced under the moonlight on the beaches of Monaco with the duchess of Liechtenstein, and has his heart broken by a poor chimney sweep's less interesting daughter. Jakeem is stunned over him dancing with a duchess. Zeek smiles that he did then some. She showed him every swift move of the Viennese waltz, and he taught her the funky chicken. They were quite the pair, but anyhoo, he found there are two universal truths in life. One, you can't un-strip a screw, and two, not to give up on love. Jakeem asks if he misses any of them, but he doesn't long for lost love. There's only been one girl in all the world that he thinks has tamed his wild heart. He turns around to wave to Maria, who returns the gesture with a smile. If it's meant to be, it'll be. The boys nod and leave the diner. Mike sighs that it was a waste of time, but Jakeem thought it was interesting.^[10]

Beth discovers that an unknown person has been spying on them using hidden cameras. The JSA makes a plan to locate and remove the several cameras, as identified in the feeds Beth discovered. As they attempt to act normal for their voyeur, Rick, Zeek, and Jakeem play a board game in The Pit Stop. Sylvester critiques this being a normal Wednesday night for them. Zeek sure does love board game night, as does Jakeem. This whole "situation" reminds Zeek of his granddad and the case of the stolen Studebaker. Jakeem thinks that sounds exciting, but Rick glances up from the game, telling him to just wait. Zeek launches into his story. There hadn't been a robbery in Blue Valley in almost ten years, and back then, his granddad was a volunteer sheriff's deputy. He knew all the goings-on in town.

Zeek tells Jakeem and Rick about his granddad's special spot on the salvage yard with a vantage point of the whole town. That's where they spotted the Studebaker that was stolen off the lot a few days prior. They didn't know who took it or who was driving it, but there it was in all its glory on Maple Avenue heading to the highway. They never found the car, as granddad fell and broke his clavicle. But the lesson that day was don't spy on people. Rick's game board bounces and the pieces pop out, aggravating him. Jakeem notices the timer ran out, but Rick promises his other one won't. He lifts up his shirt to show his hourglass, tied to his belt, ready to go.

When the power goes out across town, Rick leaves to join Dr. Mid-Nite on a mission to remove the cameras in BVHS. Jakeem and Zeek stay in The Pit Stop, where bright pink light shines through the windows. Thunderbolt cheers that the wish is granted. Dozens, if not hundreds, of cameras litter the floor. Zeek remarks it's quite a collection of cameras, but Jakeem sighs that none of them are the right ones. He was really specific this time - he wished for every camera that The Gambler's killer ever touched. It looks like a mistake to Zeek, or maybe this is a clue. Jakeem perks up, asking if it's a clue on who killed The Gambler. Zeek shakes his head, no. He's thinking on how the wishes work. It's a lot like the board game. They know who got killed, The Gambler, and they know where he got killed - the trailer park. But what they don't know is who the murderer is. He muses if it Professor Plum or Colonel Mustard. Jakeem doesn't know who they are, and Zeek states they're American icons.

Zeek pushes on that anyway, the point being, if Jakeem doesn't know who the killer is, then maybe his confidence with the wish itself lacks the strength needed. Then wires get crossed and his pistons aren't firing right. He shines the light on his face. It's no secret, but magic has everything to do with the magic user. He learned that playing Dungeons & Dragons with his grandmother Louise. Jakeem is impressed that his grandmother played Dungeons & Dragons. Zeek chuckles that she did - and was voted number one in the entire state. She was Dungeon Master 1987. It kind of went to her head. She kept referring to herself as a master sorceress wrapped in the Belt of Dwarvenkind, whatever the hell that means. Anyway, if she were here now, about the wish, she'd say it needs to be more than just specific. It needs drive, passion, desire. He has to want something really, really bad, with every fiber of his being and with all his heart, so much that it has to come true. Jakeem looks to Thunderbolt, who is tucked in his front pocket, asking if he has anything to add. Thunderbolt doesn't, telling Jakeem he's got this, and to just follow his heart. Zeek goes through the cameras, finding ones that work and deciding to keep them.^[11]

A few weeks later, Pat arrives at The Pit Stop to find Zeek shaking his head while looking at a dismantled S.T.R.I.P.E. whose parts are everywhere. The man just walked in and then went flying off like a witch on a broomstick. Pat remarks that Sylvester's lost his mind, but Zeek isn't so sure. He has something to run by Dugan. Maybe, just maybe, Sylvester is doing to Pat when he did to Little Dugan when Eclipso was prancing around Blue Valley. Pat can't remember what he did, so Zeek explains further. He told Mike to meet him when S.T.R.I.P.E. was fixed, knowing good and well it wouldn't be. He lied to protect him. Pat realizes Sylvester's lying to protect him now. He'd rather they hate him than have them get hurt. Which means Sylvester's going to get himself killed. Pat tells Zeek to grab that wrench has he's gotta move face. Zeek tells him to hold up. He's as fast as they come, but putting old Humpty Dumpty together here is going to take more than a few minutes. Pat understands that, but he has an idea. Zeek realizes what he means and nods. Together, they remove the flame thrower component from S.T.R.I.P.E.'s arm and redesign it as a handheld thrower for Stripesy to use.^[12]

Personality

Zeek is an outgoing, boisterous, all-around pleasant man with a simple life. He likes his junkyard, his business, and working on exciting projects. He can be daft at times with little regard to personal privacy or rooms that are off-limits, but also keeps to himself enough to not spread secrets. Zeek is very intelligent in his mechanical career, able to create something incredible out of scrap metal from his junkyard. He didn't have any outlet for his creative mechanical ideas until he discovered STRIPE, ultimately channeling his energy into boosting the robot's status. He mostly does this as he finds it cool that Pat has his own robot, and doesn't ask questions as to where or what the robot is used for. Zeek is wise, issuing unwarranted advice to Pat's son, Mike.

Physical Appearance

Zeek is a middle age man with dark hair, thick eyebrows, and a moderate yet stocky figure. He wears a Zeek's Junkyard hat to showcase his business, and is normally wearing overalls.

Abilities

• Mechanical Prowess: As a skilled mechanic and junkyard owner, Zeek knows how to make something out of seemingly nothing. He crafted a flamethrower for STRIPE in under a week, including an activation button with a symbol of fire imprinted on it. Zeek is gifted in his skills but often doesn't have an outlet for his creative yet spunky ideas.

Appearances

Notes and Trivia

• Zeek is the first "normal" resident of Blue Valley to learn about the Justice Society of America.
• Zeek has become a fan-favorite given his laid back attitude and just accepts that odd things happen without even questioning it.
• Zeek is the first character who is not on any side of the hero/villain dynamic to have seen Thunderbolt.

Gallery

References