Batman Beyond Needs To Reunite With Static in DC’s Universe

Warning! Spoilers for Static: Season One #3

The Batman of Gotham City’s future should meet Static again. Although Terry McGinnis and Virgil Hawkins occupy two different points in time, the DC Universe needs to find a way for them to team up.

When the DC Animated Universe was in full swing, characters often crossed over into each other’s series. Unlike Batman: The Animated Series or Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond and Static Shock were the entry points for the vast majority of fans into their worlds. Not based on any comic storyline, some fans took time to adjust to Terry McGinnis as the Dark Knight of tomorrow. Although Virgil Hawkins’ hometown of Dakota came from his Milestone Media comics, many were introduced to him through the animated series. For these reasons, both teenage superheroes have been defined by their DCAU incarnations in the minds of modern readers. In a fan favorite episode of Static Shock titled Future Shock, Virgil traveled into the future and met Terry’s Batman. With Static’s constant joking and Batman’s serious attitude, the two heroes made a compelling dynamic.

For a long time, neither Terry McGinnis’ Batman or Static were mainstays in the DC Universe. However, Batman Beyond eventually received its own series, and Static recently returned to comics after a decade hiatus. Now that Virgil Hawkins and Terry McGinnis have made a resurgence with their titles apart from the DCAU, it’s the perfect time for them to cross paths again. Future Shock was a short glimpse into their partnership, with an episode of Justice League Unlimited briefly homaging their friendship. Despite existing in two different times, it would be a waste of potential for Terry and Virgil to never team up again.

It’s currently unclear how far away the Dakotaverse is from the mainstream DC Universe in comics. Similarly, the timeline in which Batman Beyond exists is set apart from ongoing continuity shared by Justice League, Superman, and other series. Regardless, there are numerous ways in which Virgil could run into Terry. With the grand scale of DC’s Omniverse, there is an infinite amount of possible team ups from contrasting timelines. At the moment, Virgil is only getting his start as Static in Static: Season One written by Ayala Vita with art by Nikolas Draper-Ivey.

However, this iteration of Virgil might actually get along with Terry better than his animated counterpart, as he is learning to take his superhero responsibilities even more seriously. Although Terry has been aged up in some comics from his teenage years, a slight age gap might also add to the duo’s dynamic. As Virgil is early in high school, and Terry is in college, they could have a brotherly relationship. Whether Virgil travels to another world’s New Gotham, or Terry makes his way to Dakota, there is a lot of potential for a Batman and Static team up.

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