Static (Virgil Ovid Hawkins) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Milestone Comics founders Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, Derek T. Dingle, and Christopher Priest. The character first appeared in a 3-page preview in Icon #1 (May 1993) with his first full appearance in Static #1 (June 1993), written by McDuffie and Robert L. Washington III and illustrated by John Paul Leon. He is a member of a fictional subspecies of humans with superhuman abilities known as metahumans. Not born with his powers, Hawkins' abilities develop after an incident exposes him to a radioactive chemical called "Quantum Juice", turning him into a "Bang Baby" (a sub-category of metahuman).

The character drew much inspiration and was in fact designed to represent a modern-era Spider-Man archetype. After the closing of Milestone Comics, Static was incorporated into the DC Universe and became a member of the Teen Titans.

Static has made numerous appearances in other forms of media. The character has been featured in various animated series, including Static Shock, a version of the storyline made slightly more suitable for a younger audience, as well as animated films and video games.

Publication history

upright|thumb|Static on the cover of Static #1 (May 1993), his solo series debut. Art by Denys Cowan and Jimmy Palmiotti.

An African-American teenager, Static was a key character of Milestone Comics, an independently owned imprint of DC Comics founded by Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, Derek T. Dingle, and Christopher Priest with a greater representation of minority heroes. Originally developed for Marvel Comics, Static would become a main staple of the Milestone line. When initially creating the first five characters for Milestone Comics, it was decided that Static should be a teenage hero, similar to Marvel's Spider-Man. Static's civilian identity, Virgil Hawkins, was named after Virgil D. Hawkins, a black man who was denied entrance to the University of Florida's law school due to his race in 1949. The character's superhero identity was suggested by Priest (who co-developed the original Milestone bible with McDuffie), inspired by the song "Static" by James Brown.

The character was introduced in one of the first four titles of comic books published by Milestone in 1993. His early adventures were written by Dwayne McDuffie and Robert L. Washington III, and penciled by John Paul Leon. Virgil Hawkins was fifteen years old when he became Static. In the comics, Virgil's family consists of his father, Robert, who works at Paris Island Hospital; his mother, Jean; and his sister, Sharon. Virgil attends Ernest Hemingway High School in the city of Dakota with his friends: Frieda Goren, Richard "Rick" Stone, Larry Wade, Chuck, Felix, and Daisy Watkins. In the guise of Static, Virgil eventually rescues Rick from danger. Not unlike Spider-Man, the character has a propensity for witty banter and humor, especially when engaged with opponents. In addition, Virgil utilizes his knowledge of science and pop culture in various battles and scenarios as Static.

McDuffie described the character:<blockquote>"Like any other awkward 15-year-old, Virgil Hawkins worries about pocket money, getting beaten up, and drugs. But recently, he's had even more on his mind: stuff like his powers, his secret identity, and drugs. Because, when innocents are in danger, and Virgil can slip away from class, the geeky youth becomes Static, the dashing, adventurous superhero!"</blockquote>

During the 2019 DC FanDome, Static voice actor Phil LaMarr stated:

A self-professed geek, Virgil is portrayed as avid comic book and video game fan, something that was retained for his animated incarnation. In the comics, Virgil regularly visits the local comic store, in addition to creating fan comics with his friends, and participates in HeroClix-style and other tabletop role-playing games. In addition, he has been shown to be an avid video gamer at several points in both his series and the Teen Titans. In the 2001 miniseries Static Shock: Rebirth of the Cool, it is shown that at that point in time, Virgil is into collecting Pokémon cards and he likes Pikachu (the flagship Pokémon of the franchise, who also possesses electric abilities).

In an interview, former Teen Titans writer Geoff Johns expressed interest in having Static as part of the team: "I really wanted Static on the team, but there's so much red tape there that every time I requested it DC said 'not yet' and so I never got to have him" and later stating he had plans for the character since Teen Titans #1 (vol. 3). Any obstructions were eventually resolved and Static appeared in the Terror Titans, with his Milestone continuity folded in the mainstream New Earth continuity.

Static joined to the mainstream DC Universe where he would be added to the Teen Titans. Static made his first canonical DC Universe appearance in Terror Titans #4, battling Rose Wilson in the final round of the Dark Side Club Tournament.

Static was expected to receive his own series in 2011. The series was to be written by Felicia Henderson and drawn by Scott McDaniel, but was cancelled before the first issue could be released following the death of Static's creator, Dwayne McDuffie. However, a very limited one-shot titled Static Shock Special was released in June 2011, written by Henderson and drawn by Denys Cowan. Batwoman artist JH Williams III provided the one-shot's cover. A new series featuring Static titled Static Shock was launched in September 2011 as part of DC's relaunch after the Flashpoint event. The book is written by John Rozum and drawn by Scott McDaniel, who also co-wrote. As part of an effort to better integrate Static into the mainstream DCU, the title takes place in New York City rather than Dakota.

A new Static Shock digital comic series was released in February 2021.

Collected Editions

{| class="wikitable unsortable" width=98%

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! Title

! Format

! Material collected

! Release date

! ISBN

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| Static Shock Rebirth of the Cool

| TPB

| Static #1-4 and Static Shock!: Rebirth Of The Cool #1-4

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| Brave And The Bold Milestone

| TPB

| The Brave And The Bold #24-26, Hardware #16, Static #12, and Xombi #6

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|-

| Static Shock Vol 01: Supercharged

| TPB

| Static Shock #1-8

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| Milestone Compendium One

| TPB

| Blood Syndicate #1-12, Hardware #1-12, Icon #1-10, Static #1-8; Xombi #0-11, and Shadow Cabinet #0

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|

|-

| Static: Season One

| Hardcover

| Static Season One #1-6

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|

|-

| Milestone Compendium Two

| TPB

| Blood Syndicate #13-23; Hardware #13-21; Icon #11-21; Static #9-20; Shadow Cabinet #1-4; Steel #6-7, Superboy #6-7, Superman: The Man of Steel #35-36 and Worlds Collide #1.

|

|

|-

| Static: Season One

| TPB

| Static Season One #1-6

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|

|-

| Static Up All Night

| DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults

| Static Up All Night

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|

|-

| Milestone Compendium Three

| TPB

| Deathwish #1-4, Blood Syndicate #24-27, Hardware #22-28, Icon #22-27, Static #21-25, Shadow Cabinet #5-13, and Kobalt #1-14

|

|

|-

| Static: Season One

| DC Compact

| Static Season One #1-6

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|

|-

| Milestone Compendium Four

| TPB

| Blood Syndicate #28-32, Hardware #29-38, Icon #28-37, Static #26-31, Xombi #12-21, Shadow Cabinet #14-17, My Name is Holocaust #1-5, and The Long, Hot Summer #1-3

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|-

| DC Finest: Static: Playing with Fire

| DC Finest

| Static #1-15, Superman: The Man of Steel #36, Superboy #7, and Worlds Collide #1

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|

|-

| Milestone Compendium Five

| TPB

| Blood Syndicate #33-35, Hardware #39-50, Icon #38-42, Static #32-45, Wise Son: The White Wolf #1-4, Heroes #1-6, Static Shock!: Rebirth of the Cool #1-4, and Milestone Forever #1-2

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|}

Fictional character biography

Dakota Verse

thumb|upright|left|Virgil Hawkins as the teen superhero Static, as appeared in his original costume on a cover of his first eponymous series in 1994; art by [[M.D. Bright.]]

Doused with an experimental chemical during a gang war he was caught up in, high school student Virgil Ovid Hawkins gains a variety of electromagnetic powers and becomes a costumed crusader against crime. Like most teenaged heroes in the Spider-Man mold, he is often overwhelmed by the combined responsibilities of his career as a superhero and typical adolescent problems.

A resident of the city of Dakota, Virgil first gained his electromagnetic powers at a huge showdown between the gangs of the city, when he hoped to get revenge on a gang member who had been bullying him. The authorities arrive and release tear gas with what they believe to be a harmless radioactive marker so that any gang members would not escape arrest. The cops do not know the marker had been further spiked with an experimental mutagen called Quantum Juice (Q-Juice). This event ultimately came to be known as the "Big Bang". Those who were exposed came to be referred to as "bang babies" because the Big Bang was their metahuman birth.

When the agency behind the experiment tried to capture him, he fights back, discovering that he has gained the ability to generate, manipulate, and control electromagnetism. Virgil names himself "Static" and, armed with his wits and powers, became a superhero. For the most part, Virgil keeps his secret from his family, but his friend, Frieda Goren, learns his identity when he attempts to protect her from becoming a prize in a small skirmish between gangs.

Virgil is aided by friends Rick Stone and Larry Wade. He shows romantic interest in his friend and confidante Frieda Goren, but she is involved with Larry Wade. He dates a girl named Daisy Watkins, but his 'responsibilities' as Static interfere with their dates too many times and Daisy calls their relationship off. In STATIC SHOCK: Rebirth of the Cool, Virgil is involved with a girl named Madison, but Frieda ends up fighting with her over him.

Static confronts numerous bang babies and other super powered adversaries: Hotstreak, Tarmack, Holocaust, Commando X, Puff, Coil, Snakefingers, Rift, The Swarm, Dr. Kilgore, Rubberband Man, Brat-atat-tat, Prometheus, Run, Jump & Burn, Boom Box, Powerfist, LaserJet, etc. Other Bang-Babies that Static has encountered include Virus, D-Struct, and Hyacinth.

Static Shock: Rebirth of the Cool

In the mini-series Static Shock: Rebirth of the Cool, it is revealed that Virgil has given up his superhero career as Static. He enjoys his time being a normal civilian again, but on occasion misses being a superhero where his friend and confidant Frieda gets him to begrudgingly admit.

Virgil eventually returns to his superhero persona after being persuaded by many of his fellow superheroes, including Blitzen and Hardware, for one final battle.

After the final battle with a man named John Tower who is later revealed to have been the first and greatest superhero in the Milestone Universe, Virgil decides to fully return to his career as Static. Virgil then informs Frieda it likely won't be on a full-time basis as it was before.

Working with other heroes

Later in the comic line, Static is aided by allies: the Shadow Cabinet, the Blood Syndicate, and DCPD officer Captain Summers, who has a big interest in police cases involving Bang-Babies. Static teams up with Page, the sidekick to Kobalt, to stop a maddened Bang-Baby who had become half-fly. Static takes a moment to scold Page, who, in his opinion, seems more concerned with making excuses over their initial meet up than what was more important, stopping the danger.

Static ends up joining the unofficial group called Heroes. Multiple superheroes come together to protect the town of Iberia from a dam break. Many innocent citizens perish, but the heroes are still recognized for their efforts in saving the survivors and doing what they could. Static appears among the group, quips "You started the X-Men without me", and talks his way onto the team. Minutes later, the Shadow Cabinet, now corrupt, sends a death squad after a few of his newfound friends.

DC Universe

In Final Crisis, Orion kills his father Darkseid, destabilizing the space-time continuum and threatening the existence of both the Dakotaverse and the mainstream DC universe. Dharma harnesses energy from the entity Rift to merge the two universes, creating an entirely new continuity. Only Dharma, Icon, and Superman are aware that Dakota and its inhabitants ever existed in a parallel universe.

Dark Side Club

In the prelude to Final Crisis, Darkseid hires the Terror Titans to capture Static, along with a number of other Bang Babies, for use in metahuman death matches in the Dark Side Club. During his tenure in captivity, Virgil is subjected to the Anti-Life Equation and entered into the tournaments. He quickly becomes champion and reigns undefeated for a time, though he proves difficult to control. To Clock King's displeasure, he has to be restricted to the lower levels, where he is kept locked up and heavily sedated. In an attempt to entice Rose Wilson and make a profit, Clock King releases Static and sets him against Rose in the ring. After a drawn-out fight, Static emerges the winner, but briefly breaks free of control before being sedated once more. Static is eventually freed by Rose and takes revenge against his former captors, electrocuting Lashina and her cohorts as they try to escape. He also briefly duels with fellow electricity-wielder Dreadbolt, defeating and binding him in metal along with the other Terror Titans. In his final appearance he's seen joining up with Miss Martian and Aquagirl, planning their next move.

Joining the Teen Titans

After the Crisis has ended, Static and the other Dark Side Club survivors arrive at Titans Tower to rest. Wonder Girl, the current leader of the team, offers all of the young heroes spots on the team roster, but most of them, including Terra and Zachary Zatara, decline. While exploring the Tower, Virgil strikes up a chemistry with Aquagirl, a teenaged superheroine who was briefly a member of the team during 52. During a conversation with Virgil, she claims that she enjoyed her time with the team, and wishes to join up again, a statement that influences his decision to do the same. He also playfully insults Kid Devil and Jaime Reyes after they attempt to talk to him, mocking Kid Devil over his recent loss of his abilities. He claims that he was abducted by the Terror Titans months beforehand, and realizes that his family must believe him to be dead. Believing he has no place to go for the time being, Static decides to become a Titan and live at the Tower until he can get his life together.

Later, when crazed former Titan Jericho possesses Cyborg and attacks the Titans, Static thwarts him by releasing an electromagnetic pulse that overloads Cyborg's body, saving the rest of the team in the process.

When former Titan Raven shows up at Titans Tower injured and unconscious, Static assists Justice Society of America member Doctor Mid-Nite in helping treat her, using his abilities to sedate Raven when a demon emerges from her body.

Return to Dakota

Virgil finally decides to see his family again after learning that a deadly virus has been infecting citizens of Dakota, including Sharon. After returning home, Virgil reunites with his family as well as Frieda, and learns that his girlfriend Madison has left him during his absence. He discovers that whoever created the virus is also selling limited supplies of the vaccine, and attacks the lab where it is being made. Upon breaking into the facility, Static is surprised and knocked out by Holocaust.

After refusing to help Holocaust in his pursuits, Static is imprisoned in a specialized containment unit alongside Aquagirl, Wonder Girl, and Bombshell. Holocaust informs the heroes that he plans to kill them and weaponize their abilities to sell them, but is ambushed by the rest of the Titans before this can happen. Holocaust easily defeats them, only to be confronted by Cyborg, who has recruited former Titans Kid Flash and Superboy.

The three hold off Holocaust long enough for Virgil and the others to escape, and ultimately the combined might of all ten Teen Titans is enough to defeat the villain once and for all. After this, Virgil reconciles with Frieda and tells her that he has tricked his family into believing that he has taken part in a quantum physics fellowship, thus giving him an excuse to live in San Francisco with the rest of the Titans. He also makes one last attempt to win back Madison, but she silently rejects him. After this, Virgil and the other Titans decide to head home, with Superboy and Kid Flash as members again.

After a mission to another dimension to rescue Raven, Virgil returns home to find that he no longer has his powers. Furious and scared over his situation, as well as his inability to help Miss Martian awaken from her coma, Virgil attempts to leave the Tower and return to Dakota. He is stopped by Cyborg, who tells Virgil that he will be of no help to anyone back home without his abilities, and tells him that he has arranged for Virgil to be taken to Project Cadmus to find a way to get his powers back. Superboy offers to travel to Cadmus to support his friend, but Virgil tells him that the Titans need him now. Following a farewell breakfast, Static leaves for Cadmus, with Wonder Girl assuring him that he will always have a place on the team.

The New 52

right|thumb|200px|Static's 2011 redesign and cover of his second key solo series (Static Shock #1), art by [[Scott McDaniel.]]

Following The New 52 continuity reboot, Virgil and his family leave Dakota for New York after an unspecified tragic incident that, among other things, left his sister, Sharon, as two separate, identical entities. Hardware gives Virgil a new costume and modified flying disk (made up of six smaller, hexagonal disks which can re-arrange formation) that enables the two to remain in contact despite living in different cities. Hardware also gives him an internship at S.T.A.R. Labs as an after school job. During his first major battle, Static defeats the villain Sunspot and earns the attention of a criminal syndicate known as the Slate Gang.

Static Shock was cancelled as of issue #8 as part of DC's "Second Wave" of The New 52 titles and replaced by an alternative title.

In Teen Titans, Virgil designs the cape and wing apparatus of Red Robin's new costume while at S.T.A.R.

Later, while recuperating at S.T.A.R. Labs from a previous battle, the Titans seek Virgil's help in curing Kid Flash, whose cells Virgil discovers are rapidly deteriorating as a result of an alteration of his powers. Virgil provides Kid Flash with a new costume (based on a personal sketch for a variant of the Flash's costume) containing materials that realign his molecules while stabilizing his powers, saving Kid Flash in the process. In Terror Titans, Static is shown to have resistance to Darkseid's Anti-Life Equation, coming back to his senses.

Static has repeatedly displayed the ability to absorb and alter energy from enemy attacks and redirect the energy at said enemy, even radiation, as certain kinds of radiation are electromagnetic radiation (see the electromagnetic spectrum, Gamma rays, Microwaves, etc.); in Teen Titans, he has even absorbed Kryptonite radiation from a poisoned Superboy and redirected it at an enemy.

Virgil also possesses an almost fanboyish knowledge of comic books, role playing games, pop culture, and science fiction.

Following the events of "Flashpoint", Static is given a new flying disk that now contains a holographic interface and is capable of collapsing into separate pieces or re-configuring into various forms for various uses and applications. In addition to allowing Static to remain in contact with Hardware, the disk also displays charts and other information relevant to the mission at hand. Virgil has also begun using a three-piece, detachable Bō-staff, both activated-by—and used in conjunction with—his powers, for use in close-ranged fighting.

Weaknesses

Static's primary weaknesses are insulators; wood, cloth, rubber, glass, fibreglass, plastics and ceramics, etc., as his powers have little or no effect on them, as shown in his battle with Rubberband-Man. Wood seems to be the one he has the most difficulty with, as it cannot be electromagnetically manipulated, levitated or damaged (though Static can use his powers to ignite wood and cloth, and to melt glass and plastic, etc.). This can, however, be gotten-around if objects (metals, etc.) that he can manipulate are available (i.e. while wood-itself doesn't conduct electricity, if a piece of wood has a metal nail embedded in it, he can levitate it, via the metal nail), and certain materials, while they may not, themselves, be conductors of electricity and electromagnetism, are subjectable to static electricity.

As mentioned above, his electromagnetic powers are tied into his own bioelectric energy levels; whenever Static has used his powers to a high degree, or experience any other such large energy-drain, he will also experience a sudden, acute sense of fatigue and must re-charge from a pre-existing source of electricity to supplement his depleted energy levels if he cannot have the time to restore them through rest.

Supporting characters

Static has a number of supporting characters, from best friends Rick Stone, Larry Wade, and Frieda Goren to sometime love interest Daisy Watkins.

Other versions

Static appears as a major character in the 2010 limited series Milestone Forever, a project designed to detail the final fates of the Milestone launch characters prior to entering DC's continuity. In Static's tale, Virgil is retired and pursuing a career in medicine. Rick (now known by his television moniker of "Richie") is also now working as a director in Los Angeles and is open about his homosexuality. Ten years later, Virgil has become a doctor and married Frieda; their two children, Larry and Sadie, inherited his electrical abilities.

In other media

Television

  • Static appears in series set in the DC Animated Universe (DCAU), voiced by Phil LaMarr.
  • Static first appears as the titular protagonist of Static Shock. This version is a fourteen-year-old honors student at Dakota Union High School who lives with his widowed father and social worker, Robert Hawkins, and his sister Sharon Hawkins, a university student and counselor at the Freeman Community Center. Additionally, Virgil's mother, paramedic Jean Hawkins, was killed five years prior to the series during the Dakota Riots. Similar to the comics, Virgil gains his powers while reluctantly taking part in a gang war and getting caught in an explosion caused by mutagenic gas called "Quantum Vapor" in an event that would later be dubbed the "Big Bang" by the media. Everyone exposed to the gas gained powers and became known as "Bang Babies", with Virgil gaining electromagnetic powers and going on to become Static to battle villainous Bang Babies.
  • An adult Static appears in the Static Shock episode "Future Shock" and the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Once and Future Thing, Part 2: Time, Warped". As of the future setting of preceding DCAU series Batman Beyond, he has joined the Justice League.
  • Static appears in Young Justice, voiced by Bryton James. Actor Tyler James Williams said in an interview that Smith was cast as Static, but this was not confirmed by Blue Ribbon Content or Warner Bros.

Film

  • Virgil Hawkins makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Justice League: War. This version's appearance is similar to his Young Justice counterpart.
  • When asked if Static would receive a feature film set in the DC Animated Universe as part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies, producer James Tucker responded that there was interest. However, there have been no further discussions for such a project.
  • At DC FanDome held in August 2020, a live-action Static Shock film was revealed to be in development. The project will be a collaboration between DC Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Milestone Media. By October of the same year, Michael B. Jordan joined the production team as co-producer alongside Reginald Hudlin. Jordan's company, Outlier Society, will serve as one of the production studios and Randy McKinnon was picked to write the film in March 2021.
  • An animated film about Static and other Milestone heroes is currently in development at Warner Bros. Animation.
  • In July 2025, when asked whether Static would appear in the DC Universe, franchise co-creator James Gunn stated that there are no immediate plans due to rights issues.

Video games

right|thumb|200px|Cover of cancelled Static Shock [[Game Boy Advance video game.]]

  • In May 2003, Midway Games announced the production of a platformer Static Shock video game for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Vicarious Visions. While the game was displayed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo,
  • Static appears in DC Universe Online as part of the Lightning Strikes DLC. This version is a member of the Teen Titans.
  • Static appears as a downloadable playable character in the mobile version of Injustice: Gods Among Us.
  • Static was intended to appear as a playable character in Injustice 2 before ultimately being cut.

Miscellaneous

In 2022, DC Comics, Milestone Media, and Warner Bros. Discovery partnered with Ally Financial and NASCAR to debut a sponsorship and new Static-based paint scheme for Alex Bowman's No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Hendrick Motorsports, in support of DC's The Milestone Initiative program.

References

  • Official DC Comics profile
  • Official DC Universe profile
  • Get to Know! Static - DC Universe
  • Static at International Hero
  • Static at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on December 7, 2017.
  • Unofficial Guide to DC Comics entry
  • Titans Tower biography
  • Official DCComics.com Static Shock profile
  • WB Static Shock Static Shock WB Homepage
  • Static Shock Animated Series Synopsis Page on TV.com about Static Shock