Static had some real tear jerkers, but I think we should talk about the best of the best. The best Static episodes. The episodes that hooked us to the series. The episodes that taught us something, had really cool team ups or were just awesome. So here's the top 5 episodes of Static Shock:
This episode only gets honorable mention because it's ridiculous. Virgil's dad was a camp counselor at a basketball camp Shaq went to as a kid. Which makes Virgil's dad some ridiculous age because that is something that just happens. Shaq knows Virgil is Static. They beat up villains together and it's all good. It's just an episode about Shaq being cool. But, Shaq is cool so it gets an honorable mention. I guess a championship ring isn't the only thing Shaq has that Charles doesn't.
Batman needs help from time to time, that's where the BatFamily comes in. On this occasion he calls in Static to help stop a villain named Timecode who uses a time machine. Eventually they stop him and take the time machine back to the Batcave. There Batman gets trapped in it's security features. Static attempts to free him but his powers send him 40 years into the future. There's he's seen as an intruder in the Batcave and gets into a fight with Batman Beyond, Terry McGinnis (who had been off the air for almost 3 years at this point). Bruce stops the fight and explains what's going on. Bruce then asks Virgil to help Terry stop Kobra. After their leader was captured by police they caught someone to trade.
Virigil and Terry hit the streets and we get some funny moments of Static looking at the future. Things like splicers who have animal DNA spliced into their body. Static learns in the future he's the best hero ever, Robin is a civilian and gets shut down when asking more about the future. Terry and Virgil have different ways of doing things. While Terry beats up people, Virgil asks what they know and there's some conflict. They fight again after Terry calls Bruce and refuses to work with Virgil. Virgil heads back to Dakota, but in the future like he knows anything. Eventually Terry tracks him down because he needs help and the Kobra leader escaped. We also meet old man Gear who figured out the plan.
The two break into the Kobra base through stealth because there's too many to fight. They free the prisoner who turns out to be old man Static. Old Static easily clears the base. Terry admits he can see how they're alike now that they're next to each other. Virgil tries to ask questions and Old Static starts to answered before he gets pulled back home. He starts telling people about their futures and when he gets to Batman he's told to mind his own business.
Rubberband Man is a former villain who paid his debt to society then became a hero. He's also Adam, the boyfriend of Virgil's sister Sharon, and a famous rapper. Well, he's dyslexic, he just thinks he can't read. There's signs littered all through the start of the episode. Virgil and Richie realize he has no books or magazines, nor does he read fan mail. Sharon thinks it's romantic that he lets her order for him at the restaurant and he can't read the breaking news.
Despite that he meets Static and Gear at Alva's who is actually a victim this time. Several bang babies are trying to rob him. During the fight Adam can't press the right button to stop a nuclear reactor. Eventually Alva just bribes the bang babies to turn on each other. He sends one of the bang babies to track down his bomb. Static starts to wonder if Adam is dyslexic. Virgil shows up at Adam's and demands that he read some album reviews. Eventually Adam caves and admits he is dyslexic and dropped out of the learning program as a kid because he felt stupid.
Gear shows up and lets them know he found the bomb. During the fight the bomb gets activated. Adam is the only one free to deactivate the bomb. He uses his arm like silly putty to make the instructions bigger and works to read them. Stopping the bomb with one second left. Then we get Virgil and Adam talking to us about dyslexia.
There isn't much to this episode. It's a lot of filler but there's cool scenes between two of my favorite heroes growing up, Static and John Stewart. The episode kicks off with John showing up in Dakota on a crime spree. This includes putting that old man strength on Static. Static eventually confronts John and John goes to jail with little fight claiming it's a misunderstanding. Static is hurt because John is one of his favorite heroes and he looks up to the "Emerald Knight."
Static goes home upset. When John is on another rampage, he suits up to stop him. He only then realizes that John's ring is in his pocket. He rushes down the police station after realizing John is being framed. Sinestro planned to leave a powerless John to take the blame. Static gives John his ring back and the two team up. Since John doesn't have his battery he charges the ring with Virgil. That was cool.
Together they beat up Sinestro. People see John was framed and it's all good. Static apologizes for ever doubting John. John says Static will be a great role model and they say goodby.
I love this episode, it would have been number 1 if DC let them use Black Lightning. I consider Soul Power a version of Black Lightning, the same way I do Black Vulcan. All because we went through the era of DC refusing to pay Tony Isabella royalties for a character people clearly loved and wanted to see, plus creators wanted to use. I'm still mad. I don't care, fight me. He even had the ugly red hoodie and afro wig Black Lightning had back in the day. The only difference was the gold chain because they pushed him back a few decades to the 1960s.
Sharon convinces Virigil to help out a retirement home she's been volunteering at. He wants to leave and a robot destroying the city is just the excuse she needs. He runs to change and one of the senior citizens Mr. Grant catches him. He learns Mr. Grant is actually Soul Power from the 60s. He wants to help take out the robot because he recognizes it as one from his villain Professor Menace. They're immune to electric powers and Virgil will need help.
They get washed, I mean they are hung up to dry. They're captured and Dr. Menace promises he won't kill them. De. Menace is planning to create a weather machine. Dr. Menace calls someone who refuses to help with the plan. They escape and Soul Power takes Static to the secret base and uses him to power up all the old equipment including the Soul Mobile.
They find out where the weather machine is and charge in only to be trapped. Luckily Soul Power's old sidekick Sparky, who had been called by Dr. Menace shows up to help. They track down the true location under the same retirement home from earlier. They learn Dr. Menace is Dennis another resident in the building. Eventually they stop him. Afterwards, Sparky heads home. Mr. Grant thanks Virgil for the fun and Virgil thanks him for the new tricks. Virgil asks about the Soul Power dance and we end fade to black as they dance.
This episode doesn't have much in the way of plot. There's a lot of filler showing that Africa isn't just the poverty porn that is so frequently shown on TV. It also shows Virgil coming to accept that he's not just a hero, but a black hero. That means there's a lot of children that look up to him so it's important that he be a role model. Because of that, it's my favorite even if most of it is just filler and shopping scenes or montages.
Virgil and his family take a trip to Ghana for vacation. While he's there he calls Richie and lets him know he might never come back. He actually feels like he fits in and doesn't have to hide who he is because there's so many people like him that he's no longer a minority.
A criminal called Osebo attempts to steal a treasure map from a professor on a train. An African superhero named Anansi, after the trickster god, appears to stop the robbery. He stops the train from being crashed. However Osebo escapes with map while Anansi helps people off the train. Virgil however, put a tracer on Osebo so he could track him down.
Virgil lets Anansi know he's Static from the United States and they agree to team up. The two track down Osebo to a lake. There he plans to blow up the lake and reach the treasure beneath it. They stop him and save the lake. Before he leaves Africa, Static tells Anansi that he's his new favorite hero. Static is so charming when he does that but he says it to all the black heroes. Who am I to judge? Anansi tells him it's his job to fill the void of black heroes in America and give people someone to look up to. I swear, that had to be Dwayne McDuffie taking a swing at major comic publishers and their lack of diversity.
You should buy Darrell's Book, watch him on the Blerds Online YouTube Channel or The CP Time and Powerbomb Jutsu podcasts.
Honorable Mention: Static Shaq
This episode only gets honorable mention because it's ridiculous. Virgil's dad was a camp counselor at a basketball camp Shaq went to as a kid. Which makes Virgil's dad some ridiculous age because that is something that just happens. Shaq knows Virgil is Static. They beat up villains together and it's all good. It's just an episode about Shaq being cool. But, Shaq is cool so it gets an honorable mention. I guess a championship ring isn't the only thing Shaq has that Charles doesn't.
5. Future Shock
Batman needs help from time to time, that's where the BatFamily comes in. On this occasion he calls in Static to help stop a villain named Timecode who uses a time machine. Eventually they stop him and take the time machine back to the Batcave. There Batman gets trapped in it's security features. Static attempts to free him but his powers send him 40 years into the future. There's he's seen as an intruder in the Batcave and gets into a fight with Batman Beyond, Terry McGinnis (who had been off the air for almost 3 years at this point). Bruce stops the fight and explains what's going on. Bruce then asks Virgil to help Terry stop Kobra. After their leader was captured by police they caught someone to trade.
Virigil and Terry hit the streets and we get some funny moments of Static looking at the future. Things like splicers who have animal DNA spliced into their body. Static learns in the future he's the best hero ever, Robin is a civilian and gets shut down when asking more about the future. Terry and Virgil have different ways of doing things. While Terry beats up people, Virgil asks what they know and there's some conflict. They fight again after Terry calls Bruce and refuses to work with Virgil. Virgil heads back to Dakota, but in the future like he knows anything. Eventually Terry tracks him down because he needs help and the Kobra leader escaped. We also meet old man Gear who figured out the plan.
The two break into the Kobra base through stealth because there's too many to fight. They free the prisoner who turns out to be old man Static. Old Static easily clears the base. Terry admits he can see how they're alike now that they're next to each other. Virgil tries to ask questions and Old Static starts to answered before he gets pulled back home. He starts telling people about their futures and when he gets to Batman he's told to mind his own business.
4. Where The Rubber Meets The Road
Rubberband Man is a former villain who paid his debt to society then became a hero. He's also Adam, the boyfriend of Virgil's sister Sharon, and a famous rapper. Well, he's dyslexic, he just thinks he can't read. There's signs littered all through the start of the episode. Virgil and Richie realize he has no books or magazines, nor does he read fan mail. Sharon thinks it's romantic that he lets her order for him at the restaurant and he can't read the breaking news.
Despite that he meets Static and Gear at Alva's who is actually a victim this time. Several bang babies are trying to rob him. During the fight Adam can't press the right button to stop a nuclear reactor. Eventually Alva just bribes the bang babies to turn on each other. He sends one of the bang babies to track down his bomb. Static starts to wonder if Adam is dyslexic. Virgil shows up at Adam's and demands that he read some album reviews. Eventually Adam caves and admits he is dyslexic and dropped out of the learning program as a kid because he felt stupid.
Gear shows up and lets them know he found the bomb. During the fight the bomb gets activated. Adam is the only one free to deactivate the bomb. He uses his arm like silly putty to make the instructions bigger and works to read them. Stopping the bomb with one second left. Then we get Virgil and Adam talking to us about dyslexia.
3. Fallen Hero
There isn't much to this episode. It's a lot of filler but there's cool scenes between two of my favorite heroes growing up, Static and John Stewart. The episode kicks off with John showing up in Dakota on a crime spree. This includes putting that old man strength on Static. Static eventually confronts John and John goes to jail with little fight claiming it's a misunderstanding. Static is hurt because John is one of his favorite heroes and he looks up to the "Emerald Knight."
Static goes home upset. When John is on another rampage, he suits up to stop him. He only then realizes that John's ring is in his pocket. He rushes down the police station after realizing John is being framed. Sinestro planned to leave a powerless John to take the blame. Static gives John his ring back and the two team up. Since John doesn't have his battery he charges the ring with Virgil. That was cool.
Together they beat up Sinestro. People see John was framed and it's all good. Static apologizes for ever doubting John. John says Static will be a great role model and they say goodby.
2. Blast From The Past
I love this episode, it would have been number 1 if DC let them use Black Lightning. I consider Soul Power a version of Black Lightning, the same way I do Black Vulcan. All because we went through the era of DC refusing to pay Tony Isabella royalties for a character people clearly loved and wanted to see, plus creators wanted to use. I'm still mad. I don't care, fight me. He even had the ugly red hoodie and afro wig Black Lightning had back in the day. The only difference was the gold chain because they pushed him back a few decades to the 1960s.
Sharon convinces Virigil to help out a retirement home she's been volunteering at. He wants to leave and a robot destroying the city is just the excuse she needs. He runs to change and one of the senior citizens Mr. Grant catches him. He learns Mr. Grant is actually Soul Power from the 60s. He wants to help take out the robot because he recognizes it as one from his villain Professor Menace. They're immune to electric powers and Virgil will need help.
They get washed, I mean they are hung up to dry. They're captured and Dr. Menace promises he won't kill them. De. Menace is planning to create a weather machine. Dr. Menace calls someone who refuses to help with the plan. They escape and Soul Power takes Static to the secret base and uses him to power up all the old equipment including the Soul Mobile.
They find out where the weather machine is and charge in only to be trapped. Luckily Soul Power's old sidekick Sparky, who had been called by Dr. Menace shows up to help. They track down the true location under the same retirement home from earlier. They learn Dr. Menace is Dennis another resident in the building. Eventually they stop him. Afterwards, Sparky heads home. Mr. Grant thanks Virgil for the fun and Virgil thanks him for the new tricks. Virgil asks about the Soul Power dance and we end fade to black as they dance.
1. Static in Africa
This episode doesn't have much in the way of plot. There's a lot of filler showing that Africa isn't just the poverty porn that is so frequently shown on TV. It also shows Virgil coming to accept that he's not just a hero, but a black hero. That means there's a lot of children that look up to him so it's important that he be a role model. Because of that, it's my favorite even if most of it is just filler and shopping scenes or montages.
Virgil and his family take a trip to Ghana for vacation. While he's there he calls Richie and lets him know he might never come back. He actually feels like he fits in and doesn't have to hide who he is because there's so many people like him that he's no longer a minority.
A criminal called Osebo attempts to steal a treasure map from a professor on a train. An African superhero named Anansi, after the trickster god, appears to stop the robbery. He stops the train from being crashed. However Osebo escapes with map while Anansi helps people off the train. Virgil however, put a tracer on Osebo so he could track him down.
Virgil lets Anansi know he's Static from the United States and they agree to team up. The two track down Osebo to a lake. There he plans to blow up the lake and reach the treasure beneath it. They stop him and save the lake. Before he leaves Africa, Static tells Anansi that he's his new favorite hero. Static is so charming when he does that but he says it to all the black heroes. Who am I to judge? Anansi tells him it's his job to fill the void of black heroes in America and give people someone to look up to. I swear, that had to be Dwayne McDuffie taking a swing at major comic publishers and their lack of diversity.
You should buy Darrell's Book, watch him on the Blerds Online YouTube Channel or The CP Time and Powerbomb Jutsu podcasts.
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