When NetherRealm Studios develops a new fighting game, they go through many iterations of ideas before arriving at a finished product. Artist Marco Nelor has peeled back the curtain on the process, showing fans his Injustice 2 concept art that includes unused hero Static!
Nelor is clearly in touch with mother nature, having worked on designs for plant-based characters Swamp Thing and Poison Ivy. His artwork reflects a deep exploration of their floral make-up, the artist remarking on one image, "Much about [plants] was learned that week."
The image that excited most fans -- [since removed by request of Warner Brothers] -- was that of electrically charged Teen Titan: Static. A character Nelor was personally disappointed to see cut from the final playable roster: "So sad about this one. He was all cleaned up and ready to go, but unfortunately Static didn't make the cut for #injustice2 ... damn. I had him all worked out too."
Shocker: Static as he appears in Injustice Mobile.
For fans of a certain age, Static will resonate more prominently as the star of millennial animated series Static Shock. Though the cartoon and comics crossed over with DC properties, Static was in fact a creation of Milestone Comics.
The early nineties independent media group forged a publishing deal with DC Comics, but their characters weren't absorbed into the DC Universe until 2009. Founded by such luminaries of comics and animation as Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, and with input from Christopher Priest; Milestone's original mission statement was to offer a broader cultural representation within the superhero comic genre.
Static was Virgil Hawkins: A high school aged student exposed to a an experimental chemical that gave him mastery over electromagnetism. He used his newfound powers to take up the responsibility of fighting crime in the city of Dakota. When Milestone was folded into DC, Static became a satellite fixture of the Teen Titans, and forged a relationship with electrically powered seventies hero Black Lightning. In 2015, Milestone announced a new publishing strategy that would disentangle the characters from the DCU.
Prior to Milestone's announcement, Static was included as an exclusive character in the Injustice Mobile game. That may not impact his presence in Injustice 2, but with Black Lightning headling to live-action TV, and Raiden teased in the Fighter Pack 1 DLC trailer -- the electrically charged crossover hero has a lot of competition!
[Related Article: Early Release Reveals Six Injustice 2 Premier Skins]
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