Virgil Hawkins

### Powers

Agility, Electricity Control, Electronic Disruption, Electronic interaction, Energy Absorption, Energy Manipulation, Energy Shield, Energy-Enhanced Strike, Flight, Force Field, Gadgets, Healing, Intellect, Leadership, Levitation, Magnetism, Marksmanship, Technopathy

Virgil Hawkins was exposed to a mutagenic gas that swept his city of Dakota, which gave him and other 'bang babies" superpowers. With the ability to control electromagnetism, Static continues to protect his city.

## Concept and Creation

Static was created by Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, and Derek T. Dingle. He was one of the four flagship titles of Milestone, along with Icon, Hardware and Blood Syndicate. First appearing in 1993, Static is the most famous character created by Milestone, due to him starring in his own popular television series in 2000, he was one of only three heroes to have their own series in the DCAU, alongside Superman and Batman.

## **History**

### Origin

Virgil Hawkins is just an average teenager, attending Ernest Hemingway High School, with a fetish for comic books and role-playing board games. His family moved from Paris Island to Sadler, a nice neighborhood in the city of Dakota. His only problem was being ridiculed and bullied, mainly by his rival Martin Scaponi, also known as Biz-Money-B, and later becoming Hotstreak. After taking a beating from him, Larry Wade, a close friend, asks him to meet him at Paris Island, the most dangerous section of Dakota. Once there, Larry hands Virgil a gun in order to pay back Francis from earlier. But, he couldn't bring himself to do it, and with that, he tosses the gun into the water. There was one problem. Virgil was present at the Big Bang, a large brawl between rival gangs, but at the same time, the police arrived and unleashed a tear gas, spiked with chemicals to track any gang members that tried to slip away. Things backfired, and the gas proved harmful. Out of over 500 gang members, only 10% of the people exposed to the gas survived, either mutating into monstrous creatures or gaining superhuman powers and abilities, and leaving the rest on their deathbed. When Virgil was exposed to the gas, he gained electromagnetic powers and unwillingly dismantles police robots with his powers before making his escape from Paris Island. Later he decides to become a superhero, naming himself Static.

## Character Evolution

One of his best friends, Frieda Goren, later finds out that Virgil is Static, after he takes yet another beating from Biz Money B, who is now Hotstreak (who, in turn, is defeated by Static in later confrontations). She later becomes more of a confidant then a friend to him, as she keep his secret safe. His other close friend, Rick Stone, later comes out as homosexual. At first, Virgil is unable to deal with Rick's homosexuality, but later comes to deal with his homophobia to save Rick and a bunch of other homosexuals from a gay bashing being orchestrated by Hotstreak and his cohorts. In desperation, Rick shoots Hotstreak, and his status is left unknown throughout the series.

During his career as a superhero, Virgil begins to deal with relationship problems. One of his well-known relationships was with Daisy Watkins, but because of a lack of commitment on Virgil's part, it didn't last. He had a flirtatious attraction with Dusk, a teen vigilante with powers unknown. They patrolled the streets together, even while Virgil was with Daisy, unknown to her. During a drug bust, Static ended up finding out that one of his close friends, Larry, was a drug dealer and on the run from enemy gangs. He let him go because of his friendship with him. But, while trying to protect Dusk from being killed by gang members, Larry was killed in cold blood. Static erupted in rage, and brutally beat every gang member in the street, responsible for Larry's death. After Larry's funeral, Virgil told Frieda that he was going to give up his identity as a superhero, but Dusk managed to talk him out of that, and told him that she had to leave the city, after being wanted for murder.

Static later joined the team, Heroes, a ragtag group of superheroes from Dakota ( Donner, Blitzen, Iota, Starlight, and Payback). Around this time, Virgil was in a relationship with a girl named Madison but her and Frieda end up fighting over him. Later, Virgil and the Heroes face off against John Tower, a man with the power to steal powers of other superheroes and has been kidnapping Bang-Babies. With Static's cunning, he managed to gain the upper hand, and defeat Tower, with the help of other Bang-Babies.

## Major Story Arcs

### Trial by Fire

Static's first adventure after gaining his electrifying superpowers from the Big Bang. After rescuing his friend Frieda from the 5-Alarm Crew, Static gets a lesson in humility when his high school torment, Biz Money B, is the pyrokinetic Bang Baby Hostreak. After his first defeat, Static manages to muster his courage and defeat Hotstreak in front of his entire gang. Hostreak's defeat gains attention to Holocaust, who was kicked out of the Blood Syndicate, and wants to recruit Static into his new organization. He sends his right-hand man Tarmack to test him and manages to due so. Holocaust almost seduced Static until the young hero witnesses him burned mob boss Don Giacomo Cornelius alive.

### Louder Than A Bomb

Static has to break up a race riot that broke out in front of a synagogue. He's able to separate them, but the angry crowed turns on him. The crowd agreed to leave peacefully, when the rabbi and a pastor are able to get past their difference to help Static calm them. After it is over the two ask Static to speak at a peace rally to speak against the person who instigated the riot, Commando X. Later on at Ernest Hemingway High school, Larry is trying to apologize to Virgil for lying about his relationship with Frieda, but their conversation is broken up when Commando X appears on the intercom, stating that there is a bomb inside of the school and that they only have 5 minutes to clear the building.

Virgil was able to create an opening from a locked door and still conceal his powers. When Static prepares to speak at the rally, but he is once again interrupted when Commando X appears over a megaphone telling everyone that they have one minute to disperse while he throws out volleyballs, which turn out to be bombs. Static was able to shield the crowd from the explosives and chase after the Commando, but his explosives proved to be too much for Statics electrical field to hold up to so he ended up losing him.

While at the library, where he and his classmates gathered temporarily until the school was finished being repaired, Virgil did research on Commando X and from hearing his real name and using info from a t.v. recording of him he tracked him down. He later goes to the projects near Paris Island where Howell Rice lives and tries to open his mailbox, but Rice returns and stops him. He was suspicious at first, but Virgil was able to think quick enough and made up a story about being a fan of his work. While pretending to be a fan Virgil was also able to figure out the next step in X's plan and figure out a way to stop it. First as Static he used his powers to build up a charge and make the bombs react, then he was able to hurl the van containing the bombs far enough into the air to explode without harming anyone. The next thing he did was find out where X was planning his next attack.

Commando X was planning on bombing a studio that aired a biracial couple's news show. This time Static was prepared for him, he tied the Commando up in wire. While recording the entire thing, Static kept him from using his explosive touch to get free by covering his hands in cement mix. The police came soon after and that put an end to all the race riots that Rice had stirred up.

### Shadow War

Static was recruited by Plus, and is joined by other heroes of Dakota by the Shadow Cabinet to stop Star Chamber.

### What Little Boys Are Made Of?

Static tries to deal that his friend, Rick Stone who announces that he's now gay. Meanwhile, Static encounters new villains like Joyride, Palisade, Princess Nightmare and the return of Hotstreak, as well as the first appearance of Dusk.

### Long Hot Summer

Static, along with the heroes of the Dakotaverse, tend to stop a massive riot at the new expensive amusement park Utopia Park.

### Heroes

Static joins former Shadow Cabinet members Donner, Blitzen, Plus, Starlight and Payback to form a new team of superheroes to combat Dharma's corrupt Shadow Cabinet.

### Rebirth of the Cool

Static, who retired from being a superhero following the tragic death of his partner Dusk, comes out of retirement when Dakota's Bang Babies are being abducted by the Traffic Men, who work for John Tower.

## **Powers and Abilities**

### **Super-Conductive Electromagnetism**

Static has the metahuman ability to project, channel, generate, manipulate, and absorb raw electromagnetic energy, mainly being able to generate electricity from his body and fire powerful lightning bolts from his hands. He can generate electromagnetic shields from his body in order to protect himself from bullets, lasers, energy blasts, and other projectiles, and he can also generate repulsion fields that repel virtually anything. He can manipulate magnetic fields and magnetically lift metal objects, sometimes weighing many tons (anywhere from cars to helicopters). He can use his powers to magnetize and demagnetize objects; broadcast his voice over speakers nearby; charge objects with electricity to cause them to explode; reverse the polarity of nearly any object; and bend electrons to his will. He can also cover his fists with electromagnetic energy and employ this tactic in the use of melee attacks. Static has also has a trademark ability to generate electromagnetic energy to cling people and/or objects to surfaces, dubbing it a "Static-Cling." He can also use it to charge and levitate non-metal objects, but on some occasions, he has failed to. Static's maximum power level is unknown, but he has stated to be able to generate at least 20,000 volts of power and at one point has generated electromagnetic energy that was once immeasurable but powerful enough to destroy an abandoned building. Static uses a reinforced piece of steel to fly at up to speeds of 200 mph, controlling it via electromagnetic levitation.

### Equipment

Static's most common item used in comics is a metallic disk he designed that allows him to fly using his powers. He's also capable of using the disk as a make shift weapon. After the company-wide reboot, Static sports a new Detachable Saucer, designed by Hardware that allows for both offensive and defensive actions, as well as video chat. Most recently, Static also wields a Detachable Bo-Staff for close quarters combat. Virgil recently started using metallic sand which can be morphed to various shapes.

### Healing Factor

Static has commented on having a Healing Factor when looking to see if his wounds from earlier in the morning were healed yet.

### Weaknesses

Static's main weaknesses are insulators. His powers have little to no effect on them, as shown in his battle against Rubberband Man. Others would be wood (can be set on fire, but not electromagnetically manipulated or levitated) and anything that resists his power set. Water was an established weakness in the cartoon show, but he has never shown a weakness to water in the comic book series. Another weakness is his susceptibility to getting his power drained by an outside source.

## Character Profile

* **Height:** 5'7"
* **Weight:** 170 lbs
* **Eye Color:** Brown
* **Hair Color:** Black
* **Citizenship:** American
* **Place of Birth:** Paris Island, Dakota City
* **Marital Status:** Single
* **Occupation:** Student
* **Known Relatives:** Robert Hawkins (father), Jean Hawkins (mother), Sharon Hawkins (sister)
* **Base:** Harlem, New York City

## Personality

Static has the mindset of a typical teenage male, he's into girls, gets annoyed with his older sister and parents, but truly loves them, but he also possesses a keen scientific mind, capable of using his electrokinetic powers in ways that other Electrokinetics, such as Black Lightning, have not demonstrated, such as using them with the Static Saucer to fly. He also can use them to deal with water based (Such as Aquamaria) virus based (Such as Virule) and plasma based (Such as Sunspot) foes using their scientific properties.

While in the Static persona he may show off a cocky, witty personality, in real life Virgil Hawkins is a geek, who collects comics and pokemon cards (in particular, Pikachu cards)

He's a fan of the hero Black Lightning.

## Other Media

### Television

**Static Shock (2000)**

A normal teenage boy named Virgil Hawkins hangs out with the wrong crowd and goes to a gang fight but, police break it up by throwing an experimental gas called bang baby gas. The gangs and the people near the fight had gotten powers, including Virgil. Some used there powers for evil, good, and some tried to ignore there powers. But Virgil used his powers for good and became the hero called Static Shock. He had the power of static electricity, hence the name Static. He fought the bad bang babies that would terrorize the city of Dakota. The only person who knew about Virgil's powers was Richie, Virgil's best friend. Richie was always near Virgil so he got powers of his own to be super intelligent. He created things like a backpack that knew everything and hover skates. He became the superhero called Gear. In the end of the series Virgil's father also found out about Virgil's powers but still kept it a secret from his sister Sharon Hawkins.

In the show there were crossovers with the cartoons like Batman Beyond and Justice League, where he is shown to become a member of the Justice League in the future. At various points, he meets Tim Drake, Batman, Poison Ivy, Commissioner Gordon, Harley Quinn, Alfred, Superman, Toyman, John Stewart, Sinestro, Brainiac, Hawkgirl, Martian Manhunter and Flash. He also finds out Batman's secret identity.

Unlike the other parts of the DCAU, the series was not originally designed to be part of the same universe. Also, unlike the others series, Static used only a few canon villains and supporting characters, such as Hotstreak and Rubberband Man, instead creating many TV only villains and supporting charaters, such as Omnifarious, Ebon, She-Bang and Ragtag.

In the series, he was voiced by comedian Phil LaMarr.