Virgil Hawkins (DCAU)

Static
Static
Real Name	Virgil Ovid Hawkins
Species	Bang Baby
Hair	Black
Eyes	Black
Relatives	Robert Hawkins (father) Jean Hawkins (mother, deceased) Sharon Hawkins (sister)
Base	Dakota Abandoned Gas Station of Solitude
Affililations	Unnamed Dakota street gang (formerly) Gear Justice League
Abilities	Electromagnetism Electrokinesis Magnetokinesis
Weaponry	Static Saucer

"The name's Static. I put a shock to your system!"

Virgil Ovid Hawkins is a high school student in Dakota City. As a result of accidental exposure to an experimental mutagen in an event known as the Big Bang, he gained the ability to manipulate electromagnetism, and uses these powers to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a superhero. Virgil, now calling himself Static, has since fought against super-villains and other Bang-Babies who have threatened his friends, family, and his home city of Dakota.

History

Virgil Hawkins is an African-American high school student in the city of Dakota who lives with his widowed father and college-age sister, Sharon. One night, while meeting his friend Wade down by the docks, and was invited to join his gang, a rival gang showed up and a gang war ensued. The police soon arrived, and while 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 exposure to this mutagen in an event later known as the Big Bang, Virgil gained the ability to control and manipulate electromagnetism, and became 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 Foley, is an inventor and science whiz. He is aware of his dual identity and often assists him by making excuses for him when he has to change into his hero identity and by inventing crime-fighting gadgets for him. Richie later becomes Gear, Static's full-time partner in crime-fighting.

Appearance

Virgil is an African-American teenager with black hair in dreadlocks and black eyes. During the first and second season, he wears an orange and yellow short-sleeve baseball shirt over a sleeveless white shirt, 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 wears a orange long-sleeve shirt and a number "5" on his upper sleeves with a black collar, blue jeans, and leather shoes. In the fourth season he maintains this outfit the color of his shirt became light yellow, his pants became white and his shoes changed to gray.

As Static, he wears a long blue-and-yellow hoodie jacket, a white undershirt sporting a black lightning bolt through a circle (his insignia), black pants, and black-and-gray gloves and boots. He also wears a white mask and yellow goggles. In the third and fourth season, he wears a black-and-indigo hoodie, his undershirt is black, and his insignia is golden. His mask remains white, but his goggles are changed to indigo. His pants now have an indigo stripe on the hip, and his gloves and boots are indigo and gold. In two episodes, he was seen without his jacket, revealing that he has become powerfully built.

Personality and Traits

Virgil is a kind, smart, and humorous young man, and is Richie Foley's best friend. His friendliness and sense of humor have made him interesting to his friends Frieda Goren and Daisy Watkins. He has a bit of annoyance with his sister Sharon and sometimes exhibits negative traits such as anger, annoyance, and can be a show-off for his fans as Static. Despite these negative traits, Virgil always comes through for his family and friends and does what he can to correct his mistakes. He is on good terms with his father even after he learns that Virgil is Static.

As a superhero, Static has a very strong sense of right and wrong and is the first to help a friend in trouble. He is almost fearless in the face of danger and often goes about fighting crime with a confident smile. Static values his reputation as a hero and dislikes being shown up or given a bad name, but he also knows when to admit when he's wrong and tones down his ego. Static knows when to be serious in his battles, but often uses his sense of humor on the job. He also has a compassionate heart for some of his opponents, such as when he comforted Permafrost and wanted to help her, when he convinced Aquamaria to be the test subject for a cure for the Big Bang's after-effects, and when he expressed gratefulness to Talon when she said she was glad to be normal again. Static also acts wisely in many situations and often provides advice to those who need it.

Powers and Abilities

Static is arguably among the most powerful Bang Babies in all of Dakota. As a result of being affected by the Big Bang, he possesses the power to generate, manipulate, and absorb electromagnetic energy. Such complete control over electricity gives him a wide range of skills. Offensively, he can fire bolts of energy from his body, and his electric-charged punches can knock out even the toughest meta-human if they somehow manage to get too close. He can utilize his electrical powers for defensive strategies, such as electrical force fields to repel enemy attacks. His control over electromagnetic fields allows him to levitate the heaviest of metal objects and even fly on metal objects.

In the series finale, when a cure for the Bang Babies was spreading, Static and Gear began to lose their powers until they found Ebon with the last can of Big Bang gas and five other meta-humans including Hotstreak in a ship on the docks. In the chase that ensued, Ebon and Hotstreak set off the Big Bang gas and fused together as a monster of fire and shadow. Upon being exposed a second time, Static and Gear regained their powers and took on Ebon-Hotstreak together. Here, Static became stronger, and his electrical powers could lift Ebon-Hotstreak with some effort and even wound the combined villains temporarily.

Static also holds a distinct advantage over his enemies that many electrokinetics do not possess: a gifted, scientific mind. His understanding of science, particularly in the fields of magnetism, electricity, chemistry, physics, electromagnetism, and more allows him to make full use of his powers' potential, which allows him to take control of the battlefield, much to the dismay of his enemies. His knowledge and understanding of science combined with his creative and dynamic mind allows him to take his enemies by surprise, inventing his way around the limits of his powers on the fly.