Static Shock is back with a bang, streaming on HBO’s exclusive streaming service HBO Max, according to ComicBook. Static Shock is a cult classic animated superhero show that aired from 2000 to 2004 with a plot centered around our main protagonist Virgil Hawkins, played by voice acting legend, Phil LaMarr (Jack, Samurai Jack). Virgil is a young teen, living a seemingly average life. He goes to school, does his homework, hangs out with his best friend, and tries to establish a relationship with his high school crush.
The show tackles the pertinent subject of gang violence with Virgil only being fourteen in the first episode of Static Shock, the show serves as a moral compass when it comes to young target audience. Virgil experiences the harsh reality of bullying in and out of his high school setting, opportunity for relief presents itself when his friend Wade (Omar Gooding, Sweetpea) tells Virgil to join his gang as a form of insurance against Virgil’s bully F-Stop (Danny Cooksey, Terminator 2: Judgement Day).
After a gang war breaks out at a dockside cargo center, barrels of a hazardous chemical explode during the battle and infect Virgil and several others with unique abilities. Virgil wakes up the next morning with the extraordinary ability to manipulate static electricity and becomes the hero fans know as Static Shock.
Static Shock first appeared in 1993 and was created by an independent publisher under the helm of Dwayne Mcduffie. The independent publishing company known as Milestone Comics played a major role in creating heroes to represent minorities in the world of superheroes. In fact, the name Virgil Hawkins is actually a historical reference to a man named Virgil D. Hawkins who was denied to The University of Florida’s Law School because of his race.
Fans of Static will be happy to know all four seasons are available to stream on HBO Max. Check out the intro below to see a small glimpse of the villains Virgil and his friends have to defeat to keep their neighborhood safe.