Artist Nikolas Draper-Ivey has released art depicting alternate costumes for Milestone’s electrifying teenage superhero, Static. Although Draper-Ivey designed two different suits for Virgil Hawkins as seen throughout Static: Season One, these three new looks deserve to be incorporated into future stories.
In Static: Season One, Virgil first wore a prototype suit which he received, created by Curtis Metcalf AKA Hardware. His updated appearance could have easily served as his permeate uniform, but he eventually received another suit, designed by his sister Sharon. In the finale of Season One, Static dons a new costume which homages both his animated series look from Static Shock, with the jacket and emblem, as well as his ‘90s look, with his cap. Both costumes designed by Milestone artist Draper-Ivey reinvent Static, while remaining true to the source material.
However, the three new suits for Static which Draper-Ivey has revealed on social media compete for the superhero’s coolest costume. While one suit directly homages the design from the first two seasons of Static Shock as a more grounded iteration, the two others appear to be variations on the rebooted title. The design featured to the right of the piece most closely resembles the finale’s suit, but features a larger emblem on his chest, and without the duckbill hoodie over his hair. The design featured to the left of the piece feels particularly evocative of the artist’s anime and manga influences, as he has brought attention to before with a manga version of Static.
Although Static has a new suit teased to be his official look at the end of Static: Season One #6, there’s no reason for additional costumes to be incorporated at a later time. As Static: Season Two begins in summer, there will be more time for his look to evolve. Draper-Ivey has proven the wide variety of looks which work for the teenage superhero, posting many other designs online, even before he was signed to provide art for Milestone. With his impressive vision for Static’s future, it could be a matter of a season or two until Virgil receives yet another costume upgrade.
In response to the alternate designs, Draper-Ivey’s followers enthusiastically expressed their desire to see Static officially wear one of the suits in the series’ next season. While other heroes like Green Lantern or the Flash might have one specific costume they wear throughout an era, there’s no reason for Static to be confined to one look. In contrast to the DC Universe, Static could possess a closet of alternating costumes, showing off his superhero sense of fashion.
