Back to put a new shock to your system.
"A month ago I was just Virgil Hawkins— a regular kid, with regular kid problems. Would I pass A.P. chem? (Clearly.) When was I gonna get myself together and ask Freida Goren out? (Ha! Never.) A week ago, everything blew up. A week ago, people died. Things changed. I changed. And now I gotta live with that."
Static: Season One is the reboot of Milestone Comics' Static, with many cues taken from Static Shock, taking place in a freshly rebooted Dakotaverse and staring a new version of the titular character. Written by Vita Ayala, Issue #1 was released on June 15th, 2021.
Bullied nerd Virgil Hawkins wasn't the kind of kid you'd normally find on the streets at a protest– but like everyone else in the city of Dakota, he was fed up. Unfortunately, an experimental new tear gas used on the Black Lives Matter protest he was attending went out of control, causing a massive explosion known as the Big Bang that killed many of those present and gave the survivors strange new abilities. Virgil ended up with the ability to channel and manipulate electromagnetic fields, and a newfound desire to help other "Bang Babies" like himself. He sets out as the new superhero Static, determined to both help his fellow victims and take down the people who used kids who just wanted to be seen as human as lab rats.
Unfortunately, in this version, some of Virgil's enemies that were also at the Bang know about his powers, which puts a large target on him long before he even dons the costume...
Season One was a mini-series that ran for six issues, ending on March 1st, 2022. It was followed by Static: Shadows of Dakota, which had its first issue come out on February 7th, 2023. Static Team-Up: Anansi, a prequel to Shadows of Dakota that officially introduced the African superhero Anansi from the animated series to the Dakotaverse, was released on June 13, 2023.
Tropes associated with Static: Season One:
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Static, and most of the Bang Babies for that matter, suffered a lot more trauma during the Big Bang compared to their previous versions. Not only are the circumstances much more traumatic, being the result of police using experimental chemical weapons against innocent protesters instead of from a drug deal gone bad, but it's also directly stated many of those present outright died while the police responsible sat by and did nothing. It's also implied Virgil's awakening of his powers was a lot more painful in this version.
- Adaptational Backstory Change:
- Static, and most of the other Bang Babies, were caught up in the Big Bang due to attending a protest where the experimental tear gas was used, as opposed to the drug deal gone wrong in the original or the gang conflict in the cartoon.
- D-Struct's reason for being Trapped in Villainy is different from the cartoon. In Static Shock, he underwent a Forced Transformation and couldn't turn back, making him feel the only way he could live was to join Ebon's gang as he couldn't stay in normal society. In Season One, he actually can change back to his human form at will. Instead, his reason for going up against Static is out of desperation because his Grandmother became too old to work, forcing him to agree to the government's offer to support his family.
- Adaptational Badass:
- In the original comics and cartoon, Virgil didn't have any hand-to-hand skills prior to becoming Static. Here, he's explicitly stated to have trained in martial arts (though he's admittedly rusty), and uses it in tandem with his powers
- In the show and original comics, Daisy was a non-powered love interest for Virgil. Here, she's a Bang Baby just like him, with the ability to effectively deconstruct whatever she's touching at will.
- Richie (With no Gear persona or implied powers) and Freida actively help Virgil with his raid on the government's Bang Baby prison, wearing all black clothes and masks as they break into the prison's security.
- In the show, Ebon's powers were certainly intimidating, but mostly consisted of limited shapeshifting and being able to make portals. This version of Ebon is much more terrifying to the point he's effectively a Humanoid Abomination, with his Casting a Shadow powers being notably more potent and gaining the ability to Mind Rape his victims to extract information. He also has more resistance to bright light compared to the cartoon, to the point where he's able to effectively blot out a whole brightly lit room through his appearance alone, but can still be overwhelmed by extreme light, as shown when he initially tried to rescue Adam on his own.
- Adaptational Heroism:
- In the show, Ebon was a power-hungry gang leader with very little redeeming qualities. Even his love for his brother manifested in trying to ruin the latter's new life post Heel–Face Turn so he could keep him in his gang. Here, he's not yet involved in any kind of gang, and is instead attacking and interrogating government agents all in an effort to find and rescue Adam. That being said, his methods aren't exactly heroic.
- Adam himself also falls into this. In the show, he started as a vengeful villain who eventually had a Heel–Face Turn. Here he's a victim of the government's experiments due to his unique reaction to the Big Bang, and there's no evidence he was ever involved in any kind of crime prior.
- While in the comics and show D-Struct was absolutely an Anti-Villain who was only forced into helping the Meta Breed due to his inability to turn off his powers, he never joined with Virgil properly and instead set out to find a cure for his condition. Here, after Virgil convinces him to stop helping the bad guys, D-Struct begins actively assisting and protecting the Bang Baby community and effectively joins Virgil as a superhero.
- Barbaric Bully: Francis/Hotstreak, as per usual. In the first issue, he directly challenges Virgil to a fight outside his house just because Virgil finally stood up to him. After Virgil beats him, he responds by setting the Hawkins' house on fire the moment Virgil turns his back on him, and only gets worse from there.
- Beta Outfit: Two of them. Virgil's first real superhero outfit is a standard issue safety suit that he wears to avoid a squad of police, thinking he's the Bang Baby they're looking to arrest, from seeing his face. It does notably have his iconic yellow glasses, which he keeps for his second outfit consisting of a black bodysuit, hat, and the aforementioned glasses, later complimented by a EMS coat courtesy of his sister.
- Big Bad: Season One has Agent Jones in the role, being the leader of the government agents sent to capture the newly created Bang Babies, though Hotstreak ends up being Virgil's main opponent.
- Body Horror: The more unfortunate victims of the Big Bang can be seen having their faces melt off. And that's not even getting into Adam Evans' condition, being perpetually spread out like a chewed piece of gum, unable to do anything except futilely plead for help.
- Boxed Crook: Hotstreak is caught by the feds early on, but agrees to help them round up the other Bang Babies in exchange for working for them. It turns out a lot of the other Bang Babies the government rounded up were given the same offer, and they promptly turn on Static once he "frees" them in favor of getting paid for taking him down.
- The Cameo: The brother and sister pair of Bang Babies Virgil rescues in Issue 1 of Shadows of Dakota are heavily implied by their designs and powers to be new versions of Mirage and Boom. The girl has a hairstyle similar to Mirages and glowing eyes, while the boy, here called Issac instead of Byron, is implied to have the same sonic boom powers Boom did based on the explosion that's caused when his powers are forcibly overloaded.
- Canon Immigrant: A lot of characters originally created for the cartoon make their proper comics debuts here. Including Shiv, Talon, Anansi, Ebon/Ivan Evans, and Adam Evans.
- Composite Character: The cast takes a lot of cues from their DCAU counterparts, to the point where the comic feels less like a reboot of the original and more akin to a Darker and Edgier version of the cartoon.
- Hotstreak's real name is Francis Stone like in the DCAU instead of Martin Scaponi like in the original comics. In addition, he has the same Adaptational Superpower Change of the DCAU version, being a simple pyrokinetic instead of possessing Super-Speed that he uses to make fire.
- Richie is used instead of Rick Stone.
- D-Struct has the same name, backstory, and design as his DCAU version in his first appearance. However, his second appearance in Shadows of Dakota shows that he's able to shift between his Energy Being and human forms at will like the original comics' D-Struct, and can also assume another form that's more similar to the original D-Struct's design as well.
- Everyone Has Standards: Though his exact morality is still questionable, Ebon is flat-out disgusted by the government's experiments and murder of Dakota's Bang Babies, many of whom are young children. He also witnessed Quincy Davis' murder, and personally killed the man responsible for kidnapping Quincy.
- Great Escape: The climax of Season One is Static performing one of these to break out the Bang Babies the government has been "disappearing", including his friend Daisy. Unusually for this trope, his biggest problem ends up being half the prisoners trying to take him down right after he springs them, as it turns out they were offered payment and immunity in exchange for helping capture other Bang Babies.
- Iconic Outfit: Many of the Bang Babies in the first run sport designs and outfits almost identical to their appearances in the series. Ironically Subverted for Static himself, who actually has a new design for this series, though the outfit does take good amount of influence from his DCAU counterpart. He also has an alternate costume based on his original comic design.
- The Men in Black: A task force of government agents are the main threat to Static and the rest of the Bang Babies in Season One, "disappearing" whatever Bang Babies they can find off the streets. Their leader, Agent Jones, pretty much fits the entire description with his calm attitude and suit.
- Mythology Gag: Shiv, Talon, and D-Struct's first appearance has them team up to take Static down as a nod to their status as members of the Meta Breed in the series. And in D-Struct's case, just like his episode, he's being effectively peer pressured and brow-beaten into helping them when he really doesn't want to.
- Not Me This Time: A few members of the Blood Syndicate find one of their friends dead with Ebon nearby in Shadows of Dakota Issue 3, and immediately get into a fight with the latter due to assuming him to be responsible. Ebon easily defeats them, but clarifies that he did not kill their friend, and was instead only on the scene to try and find the ones who did because they're the same people who kidnapped his brother.
- Open Secret: Virgil's status as a Bang Baby isn't exactly well kept; his family finds out in Issue 2 after he uses his powers to fend off Hotstreak, and many of his fellow Bang Babies already know him and his abilities due to seeing him at the Bang itself.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Virgil's Static persona isn't much of a Secret Identity; an elderly woman he helps out in Issue 1 of Shadows of Dakota figures out the two are one and the same almost immediately. Ebon also reveals he figured it out pretty easily in Shadows of Dakota #5, and proceeded to warp Virgil out of his house with his powers.
- Police Brutality: The main instigator of the plot; Alva Industries gave Dakota's police force effectively an untested chemical weapon to use on protesters, most of whom are confirmed to have been teenagers. It continues to be a recurring theme throughout the series.
- Shock and Awe: Static, of course. Though this version of the character puts more focus on using his abilities to interface with technology directly, such as being able to hack into server networks with his powers alone.
- Spared by the Adaptation: An odd example. Virgil's mother is alive and well in this series, as she was in Static's original comic, whereas in the show she was a victim of Death by Adaptation.
- Teen Genius: Virgil is still in high school, and it's mentioned that he wrote a full theoretical paper on how a teleporter could work at the tender age of twelve.
- Required Secondary Powers: While Bang Babies like Static and Hotstreak have their usual resistance to electricity and heat needed for their powers, it's Subverted hard for some of the other victims of the Bang. For example, Issue 2 has Daisy mention a case of a Baby she encountered who could extend his finger bones like claws... and promptly got an infection from them puncturing through his skin.
- Wham Shot: After the climax of Season One, Agent Jones is sitting in a hotel room relaying Static's escapades to his higher ups, remarking that he has enough data left to restart their plans and vowing that he'll be dissecting Virgil soon enough... only for the room to suddenly darken as he starts getting covered by some very familiar shadowy bindings while someone begins to speak in distinct purple and black text boxes. It's then capped off with a Wham Line that confirms exactly who's become a Canon Immigrant.Ebon: Just got one question, and you better not lie... Where. Is. My. Brother?
