| “ | The name's Static. I put a shock to your system! | „ |
| ~ Virgil Hawkins/Static Shock (Static Shock Ep1) |
| “ | Yeah, they can't get rid of us that easily. | „ |
| ~ Virgil Hawkins/Static Shock (Static Shock Ep52) |
Virgil Hawkins, also known as Static, is the titular main protagonist of the Static Shock TV Series from the DC Animated Universe.
Virgil is an African-American teenager in the town of Dakota who, when a conflict with his school bully escalated into violence, was dragged into a gang war against his will. Virgil held an intense hatred towards gangsters after his mother was killed in a gang war when he was a kid, but before he could flee the gang war, a mutagenic gas was leaked by a tear gas bomb, infecting everyone in the area giving them superpowers, an event named the "Big Bang". Those exposed to the Big-Bang came to be known "Bang-Babies". Unfortunately, most Bang-Babies were dangerous gangsters who used their newfound powers to become supervillains.
Virgil, being a Bang-Baby himself, obtained electrokinetic and electromagnetic powers which he used to become the superhero "Static" and fight the Bang-Babies. Initially an untrained rookie, Virgil slowly learned to be a superhero occasionally meeting other superheroes such as Batman or Superman who helped him become a better hero in different ways. In his adulthood, Static came to become one of Earth's greatest superheroes.
He is voiced by Phil LaMarr who provides voices for Hermes Conrad, Kotal Kahn, Wilt, Philly Phil, Osmosis Jones, Samurai Jack, John Stewart/Green Lantern in the same franchise, and Spike the Bulldog.
Appearance[]
Virgil is an African-American teenager with short spiky black hair and black eyes. During the first and second season, he wears an orange and yellow short sleeve baseball shirt with a sleeveless white shirt underneath, red pants, and white sneakers. In the pilot episode, he wears this outfit but wearing a leather brown jacket and an orange cap as an addition.
In the third season, he now wears a orange long sleeve shirt with a number "5" in each side of his upper sleeves with a black collar, blue jeans, and leather shoes. In the fourth season, he maintains this outfit as the color of his shirt change to light yellow, his pants became white, and his shoes changed to gray.
As Static, he wears a long blue and yellow hoodie jacket with a short sleeve white undershirt with a black static design, black pants, and boots. He also wears a white mask and a yellow goggles in his forehead. The interior of his jacket is yellow. In both the third and fourth seasons, his hoodie jacket becomes black and indigo blue and the static design becomes yellow and his pants is now have an indigo design in each side of his hip and his boots is now indigo blue and yellow. In two episodes he was seen without his jacket.
Personality[]
Virgil is a standard, fun-loving teenager. He is charismatic, affecable, laidback, and humorous. One of his most prominent traits is his sense of humor. He has a snarky, sassy and sarcastic sense of humor that many people, at worse, find annoying and insensitive. One of his main tactics is using humor and taunts against his opponents. He has a habit of running his mouth. While he can be insensitive, whenever he realizes he's wrong he seeks to make it right. He loves hazing and annoying his sister, but he genuinely loves her and doesn't try to actually hurt her, feeling very guilty when he does. Virgil is also fond of making references to pop culture.
As Static, despite his constant quipping and joking, has very strong morals and is a fearless fighter for justice. Although he struggles to balance his duty with his personal life, Virgil enjoys being a superhero, both saving people and his reputation. Despite his laidback attitude, he also takes his job as a hero seriously and is capable of being stoic in dramatic situations.
History[]
Virgil Hawkins is an African-American high school student in the city of Dakota who lives with his widowed father and an older sister, Sharon. One night, while meeting his friend Wade down by the docks, he was invited to join his gang, a rival gang showed up, and a gang war ensued. The police soon arrived, and while they were launching a tear gas canister to break up the fight, the canister struck a platform containing barrels of an experimental mutagen, causing the barrels to ignite and explode. The entire dock area and its occupants were exposed to a strange purple gas which leaked from the barrels. As a result of this accidental exposure to this mutagen in an event later to become known as the Big Bang, Virgil gained the ability to control and manipulate electromagnetism, and uses these powers to become a superhero named "Static". Countless others who were also exposed gained a wide variety of mutations and abilities, and Static spends much of his time dealing with these "Bang Babies", many of whom use their abilities in selfish, harmful, and even criminal ways. Virgil's best friend, Richie, an inventor and science whiz, is aware of Virgil's dual identity and often assists him by making excuses for him when he has to change into his "Static" identity and by inventing crime-fighting gadgets for him.
Powers & Abilities[]
Bang Baby: Static's physiology was altered by a mutant-genetic explosion which caused him to adapt unusual powers. Static's body itself can generate raw electromagnetic energy, which he has learned to manipulate, control, and enhance.
- Super-Conductive Electromagnetism: Static can sense sources of electromagnetic energy or objects that can be affected by it such as underground water pipes. He can magnetize and demagnetize metals.
- Electromagnetic Fields: Static generates an electromagnetic field just like the earth and the sun generate their own Electromagnetic fields. Static can also create barriers and shields that he can use to block, repel, hold back attacks and defend himself in battle.
- Electromagnetic Levitation: Static can cause objects to fly (metal is the easiest material to manipulate and wood is the most difficult).
- Wavelength Tuning: Static can hear radio waves meaning he can listen in on the police broadband and music stations, as well as tapping into the phone lines so he can make calls.
- Electrokinesis: Static can generate electricity from his body and administer it in a range of different attacks and uses. He can charge devices, drain devices and project his electricity in a variety of controlled ways.
- Electrical Displays: Electromagnetic Light Displays that Static can shoot into the sky in the forms of pictures and words. With more power behind it, Static can make these into Electromagnetic Nets and/or Cage.
- Electromagnetic Force Bolts: Static can fire Bursts of electromagnetic energy from his hands for uses like electrifying objects, administering large scale "Static Clings", generating shields and barriers.
- Ball Lightning: Named after Ball Lightning, the weather phenomenon. Electromagnetic Energy compressed into a large ball and thrown at targets; an offensive maneuver in a combat situation.
- Static Cling: Static can adhere most objects or people to surfaces and other objects, plus Static can magnetize surfaces.
- Science Intuition: Static is a highly gifted student with a particular interest in the maths and sciences. Static also possesses an almost fanboyish knowledge of comic books, role playing games, and science fiction.
- Tactical Analysis: Static is able to apply his scientific knowledge in combat and real life situations and does so almost intuitively. This allows him a certain advantage over less clever opponents.
- Multilingualism: Virgil has learned to speak German for unknown reasons and is fluent enough to carry on a simple conversation in the language.
Weaknesses[]
- Water: Static's powers could be "shorted out" when exposed to water.
- Drainage: Static power can run out, and he needs to absorb it from other power sources.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Static Shock is the first African comic book superhero to receive his own animated show while Blade and Steel only received movie adaptions.
- When deciding what costume to wear to fight crime, one of Virgil's choices is a costume that looks like Black Vulcan's.
External Links[]
- Static on the Shonen Heroes Wiki
- Static on the DC Wiki