Virgil Hawkins (New Earth)

Virgil gained his electromagnetic powers at a huge showdown between the gangs of the city, where he hoped to get revenge on a gangster who had been bullying him. The authorities released a tear gas marked with a harmless radioactive marker so that any gangsters would not escape arrest, not knowing that it had been further spiked with an experimental mutagen called Quantum Juice (Q-Juice). This event ultimately came to be known as the so-called "Big Bang" (a massive fight between about all the gangsters in Dakota City - and a massive mutagenic gas explosion). Virgil was exposed to the gas, and when the agency behind the experiment tried to capture him, he fought back, discovering that he had gained the ability to generate, manipulate, and control electromagnetism. Virgil named himself "Static" and armed with his intelligence, his wits and his new powers, Static became a superhero.

Place of Birth

Dakota City

Creators

Dwayne McDuffie, John Paul Leon

First appearance

Static #1

History

The poorest and most crime-ridden neighborhood of Dakota City is Paris Island. Gangs were commonplace, and turf wars a regular occurrence. So much so that eventually all the local gangs agreed to settle things once and for all, at an intersection of the three main gang's territories, a spot they termed "Ground Zero". This "Big Bang" was no secret, and when more than five hundred gang members converged that night, armed and ready, everyone in the area, police included, knew what was going down. Even the Mayor of the city knew about it, and she had decided to take advantage of the unique situation and mark herself as a "tough on crime" candidate for the next elections. Once everything started she had ordered the police to release a special tear gas containing a harmless radioactive marker, which would allow them to track any gang members who got away for days afterwards, and then they'd move in on the gangs in force and apprehend as many of them as they could. By morning the vast majority would be incarcerated, and the stragglers could be chased down and picked up over the next few days.

Things went hideously wrong. The gas killed over ninety percent of the people exposed to it, with the survivors either being hideously mutated into monstrous forms or gaining superhuman powers. Those survivors became known as "Bang Babies"; to the world at large the deaths were put down to gang violence.Fifteen-year old school kid Virgil Hawkins was bullied, like most kids are. But after taking one beating too many he was given a gun by some gangbanger friends, who told him that if he was tired of being pushed around, then he should link up with them at the Big Bang. Virgil showed up, and hid behind some crates and old oil drums, but while he was waiting he decided this wasn't for him. Throwing the gun away into the water, he wandered off, deep in thought and heedless to where he was walking. Thus it was that Virgil, although not a gang member, ended up present at Paris Island on the night of the Big Bang. Exposed to the gas he gained a variety of electromagnetic powers, and inspired by the superhero comics he had grown up reading, he decided to become a superhero, Static.

It's not all good being a superhero though. At school the only person who knows Virgil's secret is his best friend, Frieda Goren; he can't use his powers to deal with bullies for fear of giving away his secret identity. Because his sense of duty means he will drop everything to deal with threats to the city, he finds it impossible to hold down even the most menial job. He's got enemies aplenty - Hotstreak, Commando X, Holocaust, and more. His close friend Rick Stone came out as gay, forcing Virgil not only to deal with his own homophobia, but also to protect Rick when a gay rights rally was attacked by a homophobic super villain.

And then there's Dusk. Dusk was another teen vigilante, with a strong code of justice, whom Static encountered. He and the young lady hit it off immediately (in spite of having somewhat different viewpoints on what constituted reasonable force), and combined patrolling and dating. Then the two of them assisted the police on a drug bust, only for Static to discover one of the dealers was Frieda's boyfriend Larry. Shocked, Static initially let Larry go, putting a slight rift between him and Dusk. A day later the two heroes caught up with the other boy just as some other dealers decided it was time to silence him. Dusk was shot trying to protect Larry, who died anyway, and if Static hadn't carried her to safety, Dusk might have died as well. Afterwords, Static told Frieda he had decided to abandon his costumed identity. He was convinced not to by Dusk, who was leaving Dakota because she had become wanted for murder.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Static is a human mutant due to the interaction of tear gas mixed with a mutagenic chemical. He has thus acquired the ability to manipulate and control electromagnetic phenomena.

Super-Conductive Electromagnetism: Static's body can generate Raw Electromagnetic Energy, which he has learned to manipulate, control, to sense sources of electromagnetic energy, electricity and magnetism and administer as a range of attacks with a range of uses; he can charge devices (such as the Justice League's Watchtower) with electricity, and alternatively drain the energy from them into himself, magnetize and demagnetize metals. Static can hear Radiowaves 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. Virgil/Static can choose to keep the electromagnetic energy that he currently holds in his body by controlling the Current and Voltage for whenever he wants to use it.

Electromagnetic Force Bolts: Virgil/Static can fire Bursts of electromagnetic energy from his hands for uses like electrifying objects, administering large scale Static-Clings, generating shields and barriers and with a piece of wire he can generate a Nova-Burst.

Electromagnetic Fields: Virgil/Static generates an Electromagnetic field just like the earth & the sun generate their own Electromagnetic fields.

Electromagnetic Levitation: Static can cause objects to fly (metal is the easiest material to manipulate and wood is the most difficult.)

Static Cling: Static can adhere most objects/people/Bang-Babies to surfaces and other objects, plus Static can magnetize surfaces.

Taser Punch: an electrified punch administered during combat to send opponents flying, similar effects to a Taser Gun.

Electromagnetic 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 &/or Cage.

Electromagnetic Shields and Barriers: shields and barriers that Static can generate with Electromagnetism to block, repel, hold back attacks and defend himself in battle.

Ball Lightning: named after Ball Lightning, the weather phenomenon. Electromagnetic Energy compressed into a large ball & thrown at targets; an offensive maneuver in a combat situation.

Nova Burst: so far seen only in Bad Stretch, an attack of light & electromagnetic force run through some normal wire, to blind them for a short while.

Electromagnetic Pulse: knocking out all local electrical devices.

Abilities

No known abilities.

Strength level

Strength level unknown.

Weaknesses

Due to the wide ranges that Static has, Static's electromagnetic powers behave with a range of frequencies, abilities, and power levels. For example: Static's main weakness in confrontations with other Meta-Humans and Bang-Babies, is water, to be exact, if Static is hit by a large body of water, his powers can short out, especially if he's charged up; but he can fly in the rain. Static can replenish energy that he has lost in fights from sources of electricity. Sometimes Static can use his powers on non-metal objects, and sometimes he can't. And there are times where he's not been ready to absorb electrical power.

Paraphernalia

Equipment: None known.
Transportation: None known.
Weapons: None known.

Notes

No special notes.

Trivia

No trivia.

Links and References

Static Shock at Wikipedia.org

Footnotes

[[Category:Dwayne McDuffie, John Paul Leon/Creator]]

In order to follow the Naming Conventions, it has been suggested that this page be moved to Virgil Hawkins (Dakotaverse). Discuss this and other proposed moves.

Click here for a complete list of articles to be moved.

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