APPROVED: BACKGROUND_1 IN BRIEF
The son of a single widower, Virgil Hawkins was raised with a strict view of right and wrong, no easy feat in a city as notorious for teen crime as Dakota City. An attempt to press-gang him into one of those criminal groups led to the fateful decision to be at the City Docks on the night of the Big Bang, an explosion of mutagetic gas that enveloped a large bulk of the city's youth and resulted in the birth of a wave of "meta-humans." Finding himself gifted with the ability to emit huge amounts of electromagnetic energy, Virgil made the decision to become the costumed superhero "Static," deciding to use his newfound ability to help stem the rising tide of criminals both normal and empowered in Dakota City.
Three years would pass with all the adventures (and misadventures) a young superhero could ask for, including battles against fantastic enemies and journeys to both the past and the future. Virgil would also find new allies, such as the gangster-turned-hero Rubberband Man and irrepressible She-Bang. Virgil would also come to terms with tragedies on a more personal front, such as confronting the death of his mother and dealing with an incident of gun violence at his high school. For all its highs and lows, Static's crimefighting career would almost come to complete stop when Dakota's scientists discovered a counter-agent to the Big Bang's mutagetic properties, and began spraying the city wih it.
Despite his own powers trickling away Static would stay true to his ideals, tracking a group of meta-criminals who had stolen a sample of the original mutagenic gas — unquestionably the wrong hands for something so potentially dangerous. The young hero would end up exposed to it once again, restoring his powers at a level stronger than ever before. With his crimefighting ability secure and nearly every meta-criminal in the city neutralized, Static continues to stand tall as one of Dakota City's premier heroes.
APPROVED: PSY1 Goals
Static's goals are split between his ordinary life as Virgil Hawkins, and his crimefighting career as Static. Due mostly to his youth, they tend to be simple ones: as Virgil finish highschool, get into a good college, and make his family proud of him. As Static, his goal is likewise simple in the wish to use his powers to help however he can. During the course of his career he has come to realize this isn't always as simple as blasting the "bad guy" and seeing him hauled off to jail, but as new opportunities arise for him to lend his aid to those who need it, he remains willing to do so — even if it does mean occasionally having to surrender to being home before curfew.
Having reached 18 years of age, the second of Virgil's goals is finally taking the fore. Leaving Dakota City as part of a scholarship program at Empire State University, Virgil seeks to continue his education at the college level as well as take the first important steps in any teenager's left, that of "leaving the nest" and setting out into the world. And although Static will always be Dakota's native son, Virgil will not hesitate to continue to lend his alter-ego's aid wherever it might be needed.
APPROVED: PSY2 Motivation
"I just want to thank the city for this special memorial tribute. By honoring Jean and her colleagues, you also honor her belief that the noblest act anyone can perform is to help another person." -Robert Hawkins, on the five-year anniversary and memorial dedication for the Dakota City riots.
One of the main motivations for Virgil doing what he does stems from the death of his mother Jean, an emergency worker who lost her life during a gang riot. The ideas she believed in were in reinforced by his father in raising Virgil, wanting their son to be an upstanding young man, and has resulted in Virgil living without falling into the cycle of gang violence that many of Dakota City's youth tended to. Being able to be raised in a stable (if single-parent) family with good friends and a decent school has allowed Virgil to keep a fundamental sense of morality and empathy for those around him.
As Static, Virgil has had the opportunity to see that situations aren't always as black and whte as the ideas of "right and wrong" dictate, dealing not only with powered criminals but complicated social issues such as homelessness, neglect, and abuse. But rather than wither into self-doubt in the face of these issues, Virgil remains determined to lend his help however he can, be it through heroics or through a simple friendly word.
APPROVED: PSY3 JOKESTER
It's unclear whether Virgil's tendency to quip in the face of danger is the result of a defense mechanism, or is just a simple quirk of personality. But whether in his civilian personality or as the costumed Static, Virgil is often inclined to tend witticisms towards the situations surrounding him, with tones from the whimsical the sarcastic. As is always the case with such things however, the actual humor content of these witticisms tends to be a matter of opinion that varies from subject to subject.
APPROVED: PSY4 PASSIONATE
To Virgil Hawkins, being Static is not some idle whim to him, some teenage adventure fantasy made truth. Static has become aware of the risks his lifestyle entails as well as its potential benefits, and it continues to stand fiercely by his choice to continue that lifestyle for as long as he is able to. There are times this intensity of belief this has goaded him to rash decision, such as as when confronted with the potential to safe his mother's life thanks to the power of a time-traveling metahuman, regardless of the potential damage that could result. But even when he has realized his mistakes and corrected them, it has not diminished his determination to hold to his beliefs and act on them to the best of his ability.
APPROVED: PSY5 FAMILY VALUES
In his civilian life, Virgil often finds himself at-odds with his older sister Sharon as well as his father Robert, albeit in the ways more typical to that of an average family (read: snotty big sister and strict father). But despite his personal resentments Virgil values both of them deeply, which also helps ease the guilt feelings of keeping his identity as Static a secret from them (a situation which would eventually change, at least in part). However, in times of true difficulty Virgil has not hesitated to put their welfare over his own, even to the point of committing major thefts as Static due to a hostage situation with his father. Despites his efforts to keep his dual identity a secret, his life as Static will never come before the safety of his family.
APPROVED: POW1 ELECTROMAGNETISM
The entirety of Static's powers stem from the fact the is, for all intents and purposes, a living electromagnetic generator; the Big Bang mutagetic event has gifted Static with the ability to generate huge amounts of electricity from his body, and enough fine control over it to form magnetic fields. The upper limits of these powers have not been charted, and various factors can further skew any attempts to measure it — Static has shown himself as both willingly able to tap into existing electrical sources to augment his powers, and unwillingly affected by magnetic phenomenon boosting these powers out of control. However, even the most casual use of his powers as shown him able to exert energy in the terawatt ranges, firing blasts comparable with lightning bolts and able to move several tons worth of weight.
APPROVED: POW2 ELECTRICAL BLASTS
The simplest application of his powers, a straightforward blast of electrical energy. Given the potential dangers this with even the simplest considerations (such as environmental factors), this usually isn't the first choice of weapon Static favors when dealing with regular criminals, though it is something he will not hesitate to use against metacriminals (particularly those who demonstrate a large degree of physical fortitude). When used however, Static has shown himself able to control the output of these blasts with little margin of error, ranging from simple "stun" level taser shots, to blasts intense enough to explode holes in walls and destroy falling debris. A variant of this power has him using it through physical contact, a "shocking touch" which is capable of knocking an average-sized adult insensate.
APPROVED: POW3 CARRIER FIELDS
A more complex use of his power is Static's ability to surround objects in a field of cracking energy, generating enough magnetic force to lift and carry heavy objects. Although this is most effective with ferrous metals, Static has shown himself able to generate magnetic fields intense enough to lift non-metallic objects as well, such as wooden shipping crates and glass constructs. The upper range of this ability has likewise not been officially charted, but Static has shown himself able to avert disasters by catching and throwing aside objects such as thrown cars and falling billboards, suggesting the upper range for his power leaves him capable of supporting several tons of weight.
APPROVED: POW4 FLIGHT
A specific application of his carrier power, Static is able to fly by supporting his own weight atop a metallic object, and guiding it through the air. Although he prefers the use of a specialized collapsable disc, Static has shown himself capable of using this power with other moderately-sized metallic objects — such as trashcan lids and manhole covers — and doing so with enough precision to turn loops in the air and guide it to catch him should he fall. The actual flight speed has not been calculated, but previous chases have shown it to be on-par with high-speed automobiles.
APPROVED: POW5 STATIC CLING
Static's preferred method of dealing with criminals is his signature "static cling," creating a magnetic field against a nearby surface with an attraction strong enough to hold subjects immobile. Although this has proven an effective way of divesting criminals of metallic weapons (e.g. tearing guns out of their hands to fly and stick against out-of-reach walls and ceilings), Static has shown himself capable of creating fields strong enough to affect non-conductive materials as well, such as slowing down a super-speedster to a crawl by creating a field on the bridge beneath him, despite non-metallic elements in both the bridge surface and the speedster's (most likely) friction-insulated boots.
APPROVED: POW6 FORCE FIELD
Static has shown himself with the ability able to create "hard" magnetic fields to shield himself from incoming danger, manifesting as a visible field of crackling energy ranging from vertical planes to semicircles to full englobement. As would logically be the case with fields of these types, this is most effective against metallic projectiles; however Static has shown himself capable of shielding himself from other types of hazard as well, such as incoming energy attacks and falling stone and concrete. The upper tolerance of this ability has not been charted, but given Static's three-year career of superheroics resulting in only moderate injuries, it would seem capable of withstanding several hundreds p.s.i.'s of force (given that human bone breaks in the neighborhood of 160).
APPROVED: POW7 ELECTRIFICATION
Along with the ability to create solid magnetic fields, Static has shown himself capable of emitting electrical force capable of electrifying susceptible elements, both at range and by touch. The obvious application of this would be be to electrify a metal surface in contact with an opponent, generating a shock intense enough to render them unconscious. However, Static has also shown himself capble to generating force diffuse enough to electrify liquid and gaseous substances as well, changing or intensifying their properties according to the substance in question.
APPROVED: POW8 ELECTRICAL INVULNERABILITY
A side effect of Static's ability to channel electrical energy is that he is able to withstand being affected by electrical energy directed towards him. This level of resistance appears to be complete; even when faced with an enemy capable of emitting and surpassing Static's own level of electrical intensity, being on the receiving end of a full-power blast only left him temporarily stunned, with no actual physical or physiological damage resulting. As it is, being exposed to levels of electricity found in a city enviornment, or even weaponized levels associated with anti-personnel devices, have no affect on him whatsoever.
APPROVED: POW9 ELECTRONIC CONTROL
Static has shown himself with a limited ability to control electronics by feeding power into its circuitry, exhibiting feats such as starting vehicles without the actual key, or turning on and running computers without being in the position to physically do so. This power is mostly instinctual, a "feeling out" of which pathways will accept charge and what they do, as Static doesn't have the knowledge necessary to do complicated work with unfamiliar systems.
APPROVED: POW10 E.M. PERCEPTION
The nature of Static's powers allows him to perceive the electromagnetic spectrum past the range of visible light. This power is mostly instinctual, but it allows Static to exert his power in subtler by exerting his electromagnetics along specific frequencies. To date he has shown himself able to use this ability towards feats such as listening in and talking back on nearby radio signals, to sense and track outages in a city's power grid, and to make another person's bioelectric field become visible to the naked eye.
APPROVED: POW11 E.M. AURA
A side-effect of Static's electromagnetic nature is that his body's own electrical field is both stronger than the average person's and holds a unique frequency. The full implications of what this could mean as far as how certain outside forces affect him is unknown at this time; in one case it had the benefit of shorting out an alien mind-control device placed on his forehead without his conscious will, in another case it had the drawback of making him immediately identifiable to another metahuman with similar electrical-based powers and perception, despite his secret identity.
APPROVED: POW12 POWER TAPPING
Not only is Static unable to be harmed by electricty, he has shown himself capable of drawing on outside sources of electricity and adding them to his own. This most often is used to replenish powers that have been diminished by an outside source, but has also been used to supercharge his own abilities beyond what he could normally generate. Doing so requires physical or near-physical contact with the source in question, and has potential consequences based on the level of intensity of power drawn (such as blacking out sections of a city's power grid, for example).
APPROVED: ADV1 RESOURCE:FLIGHT DISC
Though as noted elsewhere Static is able to fly on any applicable metal object, the one that he prefers to use is a specialized disc made of mylar, a foil-like metallic substance with high tensile strength. It has the ability to collapse down into a crescent shape, making it easy to stow beneath his clothes and carry without effort. On occasion Static has also used this disc as an improvised weapon, guiding it to wrap around an opponent's head to blind them, or directing the disc to fly with enough force to slice its edge through bonds or cabling.
APPROVED: ADV2 RESOURCE:SHOCKVOX
A personal hand-held communicator which essentially works as an enhanced two-way radio. The range limit has not been charted, but it has shown itself as capable of communicating from one end of Dakota City to another with no degredation in voice quality. Although it currently has no other purpose than to communicate between other devices of the same make, it is capable of being modified to pick up additional signals or track its partner device as needed.
APPROVED: ADV3 RESOURCE:PERSONAL TRACERS
A small metallic device in the shape of Static's emblem, Static is capable of affixing this to unsuspecting targets to track them when immediate action is not feasable. The tracers are keyed specifically to Static's E.M. detecting ability, and cannot be picked up on by conventional signal monitoring. Although they provide a directional guide for several miles of range, they have a limited battery life of only a handful of hours.
APPROVED: ADV4 RESOURCE:ANTI-GLARE GLASSES
Although Static's costume is made of conventional materials and offers no particular level protection, one feature of note are the anti-glare glasses which Static often wears pushed up on his forehead over his mask. Though rarely used, there are occasions where Static's powers can result in blinding levels of light, and these often allow him to continue operating while others may be disoriented. It has not been outwardly stated, but can be assumed these have been further treated to a level of glare protection comparable to military equipment, as conventional sunglasses have limited ability to guard against sudden bursts of high-intensity light without at least some reduction in vision.
APPROVED: SKILL1 STUDENT
As a high-school student, Virgil is has the general knowledge made available to him through both course curricula as well as outside sources appropriate to his age (read: the Internet).
APPROVED: SKILL2 ELECTRICAL RESEARCH
Although a large bulk of Static's abilities are instinctual, necessity has driven Virgil to understand the nature of them the best he can using the resources available to him, namely a high-school library and the Internet. As such, Virgil has a knowledge of the properties and abilties of electricity surpassing that of an average high-school student of comparable age. A clear example shown of this was in contfronting a water-based metacriminal, and using the principles of electrolysis to explode their liquid form into vapor before they could make contact with the electric-based hero.
APPROVED: SKILL3 DEFENSE
Though not formally trained in hand-to-hand combat, Virgil has accumulated enough practical knowledge of how to take a beating in both costumed and civilian life to help avoid taking serious injury against those who -are- practiced in physical combat (duck and cover, protect vitals, etc.). This has also helped him avoid injuries from incidental circumtances tied to his crimefighting, such as crashing or falling from his flight disc.
APPROVED: SKILL4 COMPUTER SCIENCE
Despite having varying levels of ability in different classes, Virgil has demonstrated a particular talent towards computer sciences and programming, with general electronics coming a close second. This is partly due to the understanding of electronic systems that his EM-sensing abilities gives him, but enough natural intellect bolsters this ability that it entitled Virgil to a special six-week study program at a high-profile private technologies institute. In practical terms this allows Virgil a hands-on capability with computer operating systems and structure, but not enough specialized ability to actively "hack" sophisticated defense systems.
This level of ability is also what has allowed Virgil entrance into a scholarship program at Empire State University, where he plans to continue this field of study at the college level.
APPROVED: FLAW1 TEMPERMENTAL
Although spared the worst fates that result from urban crime, growing up in Dakota City has left Virgil exposed to enough of it to say that his life hasn't exactly being idyllic, from being pushed around during school hours to full-on beatings afterwards. The end result has left Virgil with the potential to become defensive in the face of certain adversities, and skeptical of changes once initial impressions are made. A clear example of this would be the way in which Virgil treated to the self-proclaimed reform of the meta-criminal Rubberband Man — although he would eventually come to accept him as an ally, reaction to the criminal's previous wrongdoings left him slow to give him the benefit of a doubt, until he could see the other person's remorse and regret with his own eyes.
APPROVED: FLAW2 WATER
Static's key weakness is exposure to water, something which can neutralize the whole of his abilities. Although not actually damaging to him, being struck by water has the effect of "grounding" him, causing his electromagnetic charge to painfully and immediately bleed out from his body. A few droplets will not affect him, but a significant enough source to "drench" him — such as from a fire bucket or fire hose — would be enough to ground him completely. He does have the potential however, to replace the depleted charge with the "power tapping" ability described above, should he find a source capable of doing so.
APPROVED: FLAW3 E.M. CONDITIONS
Static has shown himself vulnerable to conditions which can affect local electromagnetic fields. In the case of a rare sunspot occurence, Static's body began generating charge to levels beyond his control, forcing him to fly out over the ocean and discharge the excees energy before others around him could be harmed. How exactly the sunspot activity had this effect, and what other potential effects might result from other phenomena, is unknown.
APPROVED: FLAW4 ELECTRICAL LIMITATIONS
Although Static has shown a creative amount of control over the electrical energy he emits, likewise it has been shown that the same limitations that apply to electrical energy in general are still in place. Insulating materials such as rubber and wood have been shown to have a restricing effect on Static's power, and although Static has shown himself able to generate a high enough intensity of electrical force to overcome commercial-grade insulation, higher grades of insulation may block his power altogether. Faraday cages and other conductive materials may divert his power away from its intended target; in a similar vein, Static has also shown himself as being vulnerable to having electrical energy directly drained from him when exposed to devices specifically designed for that purpose. As in the case of being "grounded" by water this is not actually harmful to him, but has a debilitating effect that lasts until he can tap into another source of electricity, or enough time passes for his natural level of charge to build back up.
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