Static
I'm not covering the TV show version because certain facts had to be changed for it to air, like the fact that Virgil thought about sex... a lot, not a joke he was a little horn dog, but he grew out of it. I'm not covering the new DC reboot version because it's still watered down. If you want that go to comic vine. I'm giving you the Milestone Static, the way he was meant to be. I present to you Virgil Hawkins in his purest form.
Virgil grew up in Paris Island, Dakota. Paris Island was known as being the worst area in all of Dakota. Drugs and gangs controlled the city and nothing could stop them. It was either shoot up drugs, shoot up people or get shot up by bullets. At age 15 Virgil was bullied for being a nerd, he liked RPGs and computers, Virgil also got the nickname of Virgin Virg. But let's be honest 95% of us were not having sex at 15 just dreaming about it.
One day during his daily beat downs, Virgil was saved by a gang. They gave him a gun and told him to be at the Big Bang to repay the favor. See the gangs wanted to end the fighting once and for all to determine who control the streets. They agreed on Ground Zero for the Big Bang, where they would kill and beat each other until there was only one gang left standing. This wasn't a secret, open air conversation when the police don't care. Even Mayor Jefferson knew it was going down.
On that night over 500 gang members and police all gathered on that spot. Virgil showed up on time with the gun. He hid behind some crates and oil barrels looking at the violence, thinking if he should join in. Eventually Virgil realized the gang life wasn't for him. He threw the gun into the water and walked off into the dark to think about his life.
Mayor Jefferson allowed the police to release a tear gas that had radio active markers in it. These markers would allow them to track any gang members who escaped that night and arrest them as well. But that isn't what happened the tear gas actually killed 450 of the 500 gang members at Ground Zero for the fight that night. The 50 that survived were mutated into bang babies. The corrupt Mayor lied to the world and told them that the deaths were caused by gang violence.
Sadly
Virgil was still in the range of the tear gas and was affected as well.
Virgil gained the power of Static Electricity. Let me take a quick
moment to differentiate Static from Black Lightning. Black Lightning has
power over all electricity. Black Lightning can turn his body into
energy and summon lightning bolts. However Static can also do things
Black Lightning can't. Static also has power over magnetism and can also
use his power to form objects such as cages to contain enemies. I just
wanted to point out a few ways their powers were different since people
assume they're exactly the same. However a comical thing happened when
they met, Static considers himself a battery however Black Lighting is
actually pure energy. Static was inspired by the comic books he read, including Black Lightning's, to become a superhero. He only told his best friend Frieda. His main enemy became a white supremacist named hot streak. Not Francis from the TV show, this guys name was Martin Scaponi and he was a lot more vicious and willing to kill.
Virgil had to deal with some issues in his life. Virgil had been battling a racist, but Virgil realized he was homophobic when his best friend Rick Stone came out the closet. Virgil had began to avoid Rick until he realized that what he was doing was wrong. He told Rick this after he saved him as Static from Hot Streak who was also a homophobic. Virgil realized he didn't want to be like that and accepted Rick for who he was. Now for a random trivia fact:
Richie in the cartoon was based on Rick, Dwayne McDuffie stated that Richie was gay too, but couldn't put in the kids version. So instead he threw a lot of hints in the cartoon, like Richie always needing to over state just how much he was into girls, but was never seen around any. Or how he would become extremely jealous when women would get close to Virgil.
Static had several run ins with another Bang Baby turned Superhero named dusk (She bang in the cartoon, although Dusk is white). Static and Dusk disagreed about how to handle criminals, Static would usually defeat them and let the courts handle it but Dusk didn't hesitate to kill. However the two started patrolling and dating anyway. One day they learned that Frieda's boyfriend Larry was a dealer. Virgil tried to tell her but she didn't believe him and it put a strain on their relationship. When they saw Larry again some other dealers were going to kill him, Dusk was shot trying to protect him but Larry still died. Static took Dusk to hospital, barely saving her life. Static wanted to stop being a hero at this point. Dusk had to leave town because she was wanted for murder. Before she left she told Static that he was the hero Dakota needed.
Static also had to stop a race war in Dakota, because the police didn't care. One day Static stops a race riot at a synagogue but the crowd only unites long enough to throw rocks at him. It only stops when a Pastor and a Rabbi get together and call for peace. Static learns from them that man calling himself Commando X is the one who started the riot.
Commando X actually showed up and planted a bomb in Virgil's school. Virgil manages to hide his powers by pretending to break down a door, because he's strong enough to break chains, Virgil is just ripped, but nobody questioned him. Static speaks at a rally to stop the riots but Commando X appears and starts throwing balls. Due to his powers, the balls explode on contact.
When Static gives chase he loses X in the smoke from the explosions. Static ignores his school work. While in class he instead looks up information on Commando X. He heads to his home as Virgil and says he's a fan. Virgil learns his next plan and easily stops it. Commando X had been planning to bomb a TV studio where a interracial couple hosted a talk show. Static covers his hands in Cement and hardens it so he can't blow things up. Static wraps him in wires and calls for peace, all of this was aired on live TV.
It's at this point that DC merged with Milestone and Static had nothing to do with that story, the only Milestone character that did was Icon. Seriously they tried to pretend that Milestone characters didn't exist. Jokes on them, Milestone was one of the most successful independent publishers in history and unlike most independent publishers they didn't go broke. Milestone's fan base actually forced DC to put it's characters back into action. Hardware, Static, Icon, Hot Streak, Xombi and Holocaust all made it. Static was so popular he became the third DC Character to have his own TV Show. Batman and Superman were the first.
However they brought him out to fight Ravenger because that was a money fight. Static was dominating her and had already destroyed half of the ring. Static went for the kill and drew in power from everything around him. He was going to kill her. However this increase allowed him to regain control of himself, he attacked the people who were holding him captured making it a point that he would not be controlled.
Later when Ravenger is freed by Miss Martian they free Static as well. Static let's them leave while he cleans up. When the Terror Titans leave they run into Static who beats them all, he then frees everyone else who had been captured. Static tells Miss Martian that he's a fan of the Teen Titans and would like to join. She says yes and he moves into the tower. TRIVIA: Static has a poster of Black Lightning in his room.
One night around 4am Static wakes up, still having trouble sleeping from the mind control and drugs. He thinks about how he misses Dakota. He takes a shower hoping to clear his head. When he steps out Cyborg hands him a towel. Each Titan has their own bathroom why was Cyborg in Static's? I don't know because before he could ask Cyborg starts talking. He says he's running training drills but he doesn't have any files on Static. How?
Static
sits in the Danger Room control room with Cyborg watching the drills.
Static realizes it's looking bad. Suddenly water starts filling the the
room. Cyborg wraps some electrical wires around Static using him as a
battery to electrocute the Titans. Jokes on Cyborg, Static is smarter
than that. However his only option was to blow up the Tower. Cyborg
takes off.On their way to capture Cyborg in New York they learn that it's not Cyborg but Jericho impersonating him. However Static takes off towards Dakota when he learns that virus has been infecting citizens including Sharon, his sister.
There he's glad to reunite with his family. He also learns his girlfriend had a new boyfriend and just didn't tell him. She stayed in touch as if nothing had changed. Virgil was dumped and didn't even know it. Static learns that the person who created the virus is also selling vaccines at a ridiculous price. Static does some research and heads to the lab. BOOM, sucker punch Holocaust ambushes Static and knocks him out.
Static is then imprisoned alongside Aquagirl, Wondergirl and Bombshell. It's never mentioned how they ended up in Dakota. Holocaust gets ambushed by the other Titans but he easily clowns them and imprisons them too. However the real Cyborg who had been off recruiting Superboy and Kid Flash appears and the three of them hold Holocaust off long enough for Static to free himself and the others. Then they put the beat down on him.
Abilities and Equipment
- Bang Baby Powers
- Electromagnitism
- Force Fields
- Levitation: Not Flight
- Electrical tuning: Can hear radio waves (including phones)
- Electokenesis
- Electrical Bolts
- Static Cling
- Electrical Constructs
- Magnetism
- Science
- Static Saucer
- Fighting Staff
- Tracking Devices
- Bi-Lingual: Why does Static know German? "ich weiß nicht"
Follow @OriginalKingD
