"The name's Static. I put a shock to your system!"
Static, real name Virgil Ovid Hawkins, is a Bang Baby and the protector of Dakota. He would grow up to become one of Earth's mightiest heroes.
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 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 things, 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 is capable of manipulating, controlling, and enhancing raw electromagnetic energy. Aside from being able to lift metal and metallic objects with his powers, Static is capable of other feats as well. He can resist electric charges similar to his, absorb electricity from other sources to recharge himself if necessary, and generate powerful blasts of electricity to stun his enemies or break through bonds. His only weakness is water and his electric powers are poor against insulators, especially wood. His powers can also be a strain on his energy, as his electromagnetic pulse requires a lot of strength.
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.